Indian Wildlife Club Forum

After fulfilling months of hard work, one definitely wants to take rest away from the din and bustle of city enjoying the beauty of nature in a serene atmosphere.

Bhitarkanika with its lush green mangroves, the fiery crocodiles, migrating birds and turtles, water tracks, the ever beautiful nature surely invites the visitors from all walks of life to spend time leisurely as well as think and explore the beauty of nature. Represented by the 3 protected areas “The Bhitarkanika National Park”, The Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary” and “The Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary”, it is always a place for nature lovers, scholars, scientists and tourists.

Located in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, Bhitarkanika is surrounded with Mangrove Forests criss-crossed with streams and mud planes. In 1975 Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary (BKWS) was established to conserve the rich biodiversity and the pristine beauty in the Brahmani-Baitarani (Dhamra) deltaic region of coastal Odisha. Later the Sanctuary was designated as Bhitarkanika National Park in the year 1988. Yet again in the year 2002 it was re-designated as the Ramsar site or The Wetland of International importance. Even steps are being taken to include it in the World Heritage Site List.

Bhitarkanika river system has few giant saltwater crocodiles. The length of these crocodiles is around 20ft. The nesting behavior of mother Saltwater crocodile is different from other two Indian Crocodilian species. She builds up a small mountain in a secluded place by collecting available nesting material which includes aquatic fern species (Acrostischum aureum), Hental (Phonix paludosa), etc. Then the nesting mother crocodile actively guards her nests for about 70-75 days, till the young crocodiles hatch out for moving into the creeks. The un-disturbed river bank is the favoured basking spot for Saltwater crocodiles. An abode for the highly poisonous snake, King Cobra, Bhitarkanika is one of the few

Bhitarkanika mangrove forests provide an abode for the deadly poisonous snake, King cobra. This is one of the few locales in the country where a good population of King cobras are seen.

With Monsoon water birds flock Bagagahan, a place closer to the famous Sujhajore creek. It is an amazing view to observe 50,000 birds including the new ones chirping and flying.

Then, one needs to steal his view for the rare spotted deer’s who have got adjusted to the climatic prevailing conditions of this ecosystem. With a increase in their population they can be found around the Crocodile Research Centre at Dangmal as well as along the river banks.

The best times to see these spotted deer’s are either in the morning or in during sunset along the river banks. Though few of them can also be seen the FRH at Dangmal during night hours.

Cor more details about Bhitarkanika and it's accommodation facilities, please visit - http://www.bhitarkanikanationalpark.com/tariff.asp 

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When I was a kid nothing fascinated me more than flying high so much so that I was an inch close from becoming an air hostess thinking that she gets to fly for free. But then I landed into medical profession out of nowhere but that’s another long story.

I have been dreaming of the Malabar Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros coronatus) the day I stepped into their area, the Malabar region. I came to study in the Manipal University around three years back which lies along the beautiful Southern coasts or the Malabar coasts. Malabar is derived from the Malayalam word Mala for hill and vaaram for range. Malabar, as we all know it today was changed due to the British-East Company governance.

Female and Male Malabar Pied Hornbills

The Malabar pied hornbill is a bird endemic in the region. Though some are as well found along the central belt of Maharashtra. This large black and white stunning bird has an enormous yellow bill with a large hollow bony extension over it, which is known as casque. Due to its resemblance to a crown, the bird is also called as the “crowned hornbill”. In spite of the male and female looking similar few differences are noted. While the female has a white eye liner around her eyes the males have a larger casque. The casque bills make these birds look unique, comical though gorgeous at the same time.

The Crowned beauties on a berry tree…

The striking hornbill has not escaped our funny Indian superstitions. It used to be called as “Dhanchidiya” as the earlier tribes believed that hanging the hornbill’s skull brought wealth. Funny!

Another fascinating feature of this bird is its nesting. The female traps herself into a hollow of a tree while the male walls the hollow with mud and cement. This is so that only a small hole is left for the male to feed the female. The female lays two to three eggs and incubates. Once the chicks have grown a little older leaving no space in the hollow the wall is broken and rebuilt. These birds mainly feed on fruits and play a major role in seed dispersal.

I must say that I was very lucky to have these beauties here in my small educational hub Manipal, a visit in the winters may give you an opportunity to see them. But, I am worried about the massive deforestation, human development and the ever-increasing need of human accommodation. Thus taking away their rights to live and breed. Today the status of these birds is near threatened and it won’t take much time to title them as endangered.

It is never too late to change and bring about a change. As human beings it’s our responsibility to give a chance to every creature to survive. Roger Tory and many others have aptly quoted that birds are indicators of the planet’s health, if they are in danger, you are indeed in danger!

Save the Environment, birds furthermore hold on to our green planet. Happy Birding!