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News From The Jungle |
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Chilika Lake |
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One of the
least
visited of
India’s
varied
biospheres
Chilika lake
has an
abundance of
wildlife
diversity
and offers a
very unique
wilderness
experience
as compared
to the tiger
safaris that
most tourist
experience.
It is a
birders
paradise and
a must visit
on every
birders
visiting
India.
Chilika lake
is a
brackish
water
lagoon, in
Odisha state
on the east
coast of
India, at
the mouth of
the Daya
River that
flows into
the Bay of
Bengal,
covering an
area of over
1,100 sq.km.
It is the
largest
coastal
lagoon in
India and
the second
largest
lagoon in
the world
after The
New
Caledonian
barrier reef
in New
Caledonia.
Chilika was
designated
the first
Indian
wetland of
international
importance
under the
Ramsar
Convention
in 1981.
It is the
largest
wintering
ground for
migratory
birds on the
Indian
sub-continent.
The lagoon
hosts over
160 species
of birds in
the peak
migratory
season.
Birds from
as far as
the Caspian
Sea, Lake
Baikal, Aral
Sea and
other remote
parts of
Russia,
Kirghiz
steppes of
Mongolia,
Central and
southeast
Asia, Ladakh
and
Himalayas
come here.
These birds
travel great
distances,
possibly up
to 12,000
km, to reach
Chilika
Lake.
The
ecological
richness of
the lake is
of great
value in
preserving
the genetic
diversity
because of
the
multiplicity
of its
habitat,
flora and
fauna. Some
rare and
threatened
animal
species of
Chilika that
everyone
should
lookout for
are the
green sea
turtle,
dugong,
Irrawaddy
Dolphin,
Blackbuck,
critically
endangered
Spoon-billed
Sandpiper,
limbless
Skink and
Fishing Cat.
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Tadoba
Andhari, Pench
Tiger Reserves
open doors for
tourists |
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The Tadoba
Andhari
Tiger
Reserve and
Pench Tiger
Reserve have
opened doors
for the
monsoon
season,
stated a
release. The
Ministry of
Tourism (MoT)
has
announced
that these
wildlife
sanctuaries
will be open
for visitors
in monsoon
in order to
give them a
unique
experience
of the
season.
During
monsoon,
routes like
Moharli-Khatoda-Tadoba-Padharpouni-Navegaon,
Kolara-Jamani
Chowk-Waghai-Padharpouni,
Jamani
Chowk-Tadoba
and
Khutvanda-Khatoda-Tadoba
via
Jamumbodi
will be
operational
for jungle
safaris. The
gates for
Pench Tiger
Reserve will
be open from
Sunna and
Mathani
entrance
points until
Tipeshwar
Resort.
Additionally,
the
Maharashtra
Tourism
Development
Corporation
(MTDC) has
opened
bookings to
its resorts
near these
parks. On
this
announcement,
Satish Soni,
Jt. MD, MTDC,
said, “In
India,
monsoons may
bring
disappointment
for wildlife
lovers
because many
parks get
closed in
this season.
But
considering
that monsoon
only further
enhances the
picturesque
beauty of
these forest
areas and
more people
are
demanding to
experience
this
wildlife
experience
in the
monsoon
season MTDC
has given
them an
opportunity
to take a
nature trail
in this
season too.
Visiting the
Todaba-Andhari
and Pench
Tiger
Reserve in
monsoon will
prove to be
a
photographer’s
delight too.
Some of the
best
wildlife
shots can be
taken in
this misty
season.” |
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