About Satkosia Tiger Reserve:
- It is located in the heartland of Odisha and spread over four districts, viz. Angul, Cuttack, Boudh, and Nayagarh.
- Spanning 1,136.70 sq. km, the reserve encompasses the Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary and Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary, divided by the Mahanadi River.
- The area is also a part of the Mahanadi Elephant Reserve.
- It is the meeting point of two biogeographic regions of India, the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing immense biodiversity.
- Landscape:
- The terrain is hilly with moderate to steep slopes and narrow valleys.
- The average elevation of the terrain varies between 37 m and 932 m, with the lowest point being at Katrang and the highest point being at Sunakhania.
- Vegetation: The forest vegetation comprises North Indian tropical moist deciduous forests and Moist peninsular low-level sal.
- Flora:
- The main tree species is sal, which grows in gregarious formations.
- Other associate species are Asan (Terminalia alata), Dhaura (Anogeissus latifolia), Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus), and Simal (Bombax ceiba).
- Fauna:
- The flagship species among the fauna include tiger, leopard, elephant, spotted deer, sambar, chowsingha, barking deer, bison, wild dog, sloth bear, jackal, giant squirrel, and porcupine.
- It is the natural habitat of two endangered species, viz., the freshwater crocodile and the gharial.
