Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary, Odisha | 16 Feb 2021

Why in News

Recently, six elephants died of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS) in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary located in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.

Key Points

Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS)
- About:
  - It is a disease which infects animals that come in contact with contaminated water or soil by a contagious bacteria (Pasteurella multocida).
  - In this disease the respiratory tract and lungs of the animals are affected, leading to severe pneumonia.
- Affected Animals:
  - It mainly affects water buffalo, cattle and bison with a high mortality rate in infected animals.
  - Recently, around 40 buffaloes had succumbed to the infection in Odisha’s Kendrapara.
- Season:
  - The disease generally spreads in the period right before and after the monsoons.

Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary
- Location: It is spread over 175 square kilometre area in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.
- Vegetation: Dry Deciduous Forest.
- Fauna:
  - Mammals: Elephant, Leopard, Gaur, Sambar, Barking deer, Indian wolf, Malbar giant squirrel, Pangolin, etc.
  - Birds: Peacock, Hornbill, Red jungle fowl, etc.
  - Reptilians: Mugger, crocodile, monitor lizard etc.
- Flora: Sal, Bija, Bamboo, medicinal plants, etc.
- Water Body: Phurlijharan waterfall is located within the sanctuary.
Major Protected Areas in Odisha:
- National Parks:
  - Bhitarkanika National Park: It is home to the largest congregation of the endangered SaltWater Crocodile in the country.
  - Simlipal National Park: It derives its name from the abundance of Semul or red silk cotton trees that bloom abundantly in the locality.
- Wildlife Sanctuaries:
  - Badrama WLS: It is characterized by the presence of Moist Sal Forests.
  - Chilika (Nalaban island) WLS: Asia's largest and world's second-largest lagoon. Recently, direct sightings of school of Irrawaddy dolphins has been reported here.
  - Hadgarh WLS: Salandi river passes through it which is home to mugger crocodiles.
  - Baisipalli WLS: It is a sal dominated forest with a significant number of tigers, leopards, elephants, herbivores like Chousingha.
  - Kotagarh WLS: It consists of dense deciduous forests with grasslands.
  - Nandankanan WLS: First in the world to breed White tiger and Melanistic tiger.
  - Lakhari Valley WLS: The Lakhari Valley Sanctuary is a dwelling place of a large number of elephants.
  - Gahirmatha (Marine) WLS: It is a mass nesting spot in Indian Ocean region and the only turtle sanctuary in Odisha. The Olive Ridley turtles travel across the South Pacific to breed on the coast of Gahirmatha

Source:IE