The Simlipal Biosphere Reserve is located in the Indian state of
Odisha and encompasses several state and national wildlife parks and sanctuaries, including the
Simlipal National Park, the
Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and
Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, as well as buffer zones of forested areas including the adjoining Nato and
Satkoshia Tiger Reserve and forest. The Biosphere was declared as such in 1994 by the Indian Government, and in 2009, UNESCO recognized the Simlipal Biosphere Reserve as part of the
World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which are areas designated for balanced relationships between people and nature. Following this, the Regional Plant Resource Centre in Odisha launched a project to identify and catalogue the varieties of flora and fauna in the reserve. The Reserve is home to a vast number of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, including forests of
sal trees, 93 varieties of orchids and 52 species of endangered flora, as well as the
Royal Bengal tiger (
Panthera tigris tigris), the
gaur, or Indian bison, the
Asiatic Elephant (
Elephas maximus), several varieties of wild cats, including the
fishing cat,
jungle cat, and
leopard cat; the four-horned antelope or
chowsingha, and many rare birds, including the red-breasted falconet, grey-headed fishing eagle, slender billed scimitar babbler, white eared bulbul, east-Himalayan long-tailed minivet and common sand piper. The Simlipal National Park is an area that has received funds under India's
Project Tiger, aimed at tiger conservation, to ensure the maintenance of viable Bengal tiger populations in the reserve. In addition, the Simlipal Biosphere Reserve is home to several villages and populations of native and aboriginal tribes from India, including the Erenga
Kharia people and the
Mankidia people, who live in villages within the reserve and practice traditional harvesting activities for subsistence in the reserve, including collecting wild honey, gum, arrowroot, wild mushrooms, tree bark, flowers and seeds. However, communities have previously reported difficulties in exercising these rights, and in 2017, many were subject to forcible relocations outside the reserve, resulting in damage to traditional lifestyles, cultures, and occupations. In 2018, the
Mankidia people, designated a 'particularly vulnerable tribe' by the Odisha government, were denied permission to continue living in their ancestral homes within the biosphere reserve. Poaching has been an ongoing problem within the reserve and the Odisha state government has attempted to launch a program that attempts to recruit former poachers to act as conservationists, training them to work with the Odisha State Forest Department. In 2018, a fire suspected to have been caused by poachers, damaged large parts of the Simlipal National Park. In addition the construction of highways inside the Simlipal Biosphere Reserve has threatened endemic species and biodiversity. A previous major forest fire occurred in 2015. The state of Odisha has one of the highest rates of forest fire incidents in India. Fires are also a recurrent natural phenomenon in the reserve and are usually brought under control by rainfall that commonly occurs in the region in January and February. The Odisha Forest Department has also stated many fires are caused by humans, either by indigenous tribes engaging in traditional ground-clearing methods, or by poachers who attempt to trap animals fleeing the fires. == Spread and Control ==