The Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in the Indian state of Odisha.[3]
| Balukhand Konark Sanctuary [1] | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
![Map showing the location of Balukhand Konark Sanctuary [1]](/wiki/File:India_relief_location_map.jpg) ![Map showing the location of Balukhand Konark Sanctuary [1]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/8px-Red_pog.svg.png){kind=small} | |
| Location | Odisha, India |
| Nearest city | Puri |
| Coordinates | 19°51′43″N 86°02′52″E / 19.8619°N 86.0477°E |
| Area | 87 square kilometres (34 sq mi) [2] |
| Established | 1984 |
| www | |
The sanctuary has an area of 87 km2, and is located along the Bay of Bengal coast, between the towns of Puri and Konark.[2] The sanctuary includes sandy beaches, coastal dunes, groves of introduced Casuarina trees planted in 1916–17, and cashew plantations.[3] Little of the native flora remains. The sanctuary was designated in 1984.[4] This place is extremely suitable for the development of ecological tourism.[5]
Fauna
editThe sanctuary is home to a herd of Blackbuck and Spotted Deer. Other animals found in the sanctuary include monkey, squirrel, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, mongoose and variety of birds and reptiles. Olive ridley sea turtles nest on the beaches.[3]
Blackbucks were present in the sanctuary until 2012, but they eventually disappeared, mainly due to habitat loss and increasing human interference. In Jume 2024, the blackbucks were released into the sanctuary from the zoo. In September 2024, 13 more were released.[6]
References
edit- ^ "Balukhand Konark". Protected Planet. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ a b "Balukhand-Konark PA :: Odisha Wildlife Organisation". wildlife.odisha.gov.in. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary". Odisha Forest Development Corporation. Accessed 29 July 2014. [1] Archived 2014-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Balukhand-Konark conservation program." Wild Orissa. Accessed 29 July 2014. [2]
- ^ "Balukhand-Konark PA :: Odisha Wildlife Organisation". www.wildlife.odisha.gov.in. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ Service, Express News (11 September 2024). "13 more blackbucks released in Balukhand in Odisha". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
External links
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