Simlipal National Park (ISO: Śimiḷipāḷa Jātīya Udyāna) is a national park and tiger reserve located in the Mayurbhanj district of the Indian state of Odisha. It covers an area of 2,750 square kilometers (1,060 square miles). The park is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas: Simlipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (191.06 square kilometers or 73.77 square miles), and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary (272.75 square kilometers or 105.31 square miles). The name "Simlipal" comes from the many red silk cotton trees found in the region.

The park is home to Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, gaurs, and chausinghas. The tiger population has a high occurrence of pseudo-melanism, a rare color variation caused by inbreeding. This has led to genetic studies and conservation efforts to protect the species.

This protected area has been part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2009.

Description

Simlipal Tiger Reserve covers a large area of 2,750 km (1,060 sq mi), with its core area measuring 1,194.75 km (461.30 sq mi). The average height of the reserve is about 900 m (3,000 ft), and it includes high points such as Khairiburu at 1,178 m (3,865 ft) and Meghasani at 1,158 m (3,799 ft). The reserve also has two large waterfalls: Barehipani Falls, which is 217 m (712 ft) tall, and Joranda Falls, which drops 181 m (594 ft). The reserve is split into two areas: the Southern zone, which includes highlands like Meghasani and Khairiburu and covers most of the core region, and the Northern zone, which has gently sloping mountains and scenic spots such as Barehipani, Joranda, Sitakund, and Lulung. These locations are promoted for tourism.

History

Simlipal Elephant Reserve was originally used as a hunting area for royalty. It was officially made a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in May 1973. In 1979, the "Mugger Crocodile Scheme" was started at Ramatirtha and Jashipur.

The Government of Odisha declared Simlipal a wildlife sanctuary in 1979, covering an area of 2,200 square kilometers (850 sq mi). In 1980, the state government proposed 303 square kilometers (117 sq mi) of the sanctuary as a national park. In 1986, the national park’s area was expanded to 845.70 square kilometers (326.53 sq mi). In 1994, the Government of India declared Simlipal a biosphere reserve. UNESCO added this national park to its list of Biosphere Reserves in May 2009. There are 10,000 people living in 61 villages within the forest. Because of this, Simlipal has not been officially declared a full park, even though it is one of India’s 18 biosphere reserves.

In December 2013, 32 families from the Khadia tribe in the villages of Upper Barhakamuda and Bahaghar were relocated outside the Tiger Reserve, following guidelines from the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The village of Jamunagarh was relocated in September 2015. After these relocations, tiger sightings in the core area increased. Two villages, Kabatghai and Bakua, remain in the core area of Simlipal. The Forest Department, wildlife NGOs, and local authorities are discussing the relocation of these villages. However, the tribal communities claim these relocations were forced and want to assert their rights under the Forest Rights Act.

Geography and climate

The tiger reserve is located in the Mayurbhanj district of the Indian state of Odisha. Simlipal Elephant Reserve includes forests, animals, and nearby tribal villages. The area has dense forests, mostly made of sal trees, and is home to many species of wildlife.

The reserve has high hills that surround Meghasani/Tunkiburu, the tallest peak in the park, which reaches 1,165 meters (3,822 feet). Khairiburu is the second-highest peak, standing above 1,000 meters (3,300 feet). At least 12 rivers flow through the flat areas of the reserve. The most important rivers include Budhabalanga, Palpala Bhandan, Kharkai, and Deo. The reserve also has two large waterfalls: Joranda/Jorodah, which is 181 meters (594 feet) high, and Barheipani/Barhai, which is 217 meters (712 feet) high.

During summer, temperatures often reach about 40°C (104°F). In winter, temperatures can drop to as low as 14°C (57°F). Rainfall in the area is usually moderate to heavy.

Simlipal is in an area where cerebral malaria is common. In cerebral malaria, infected red blood cells can cross into the brain, which may lead to a coma. If not treated, cerebral malaria can be deadly. Early symptoms of cerebral malaria are often confused with those of acute jaundice. Many people have died from cerebral malaria after visiting Simlipal. It is important for visitors to learn about this risk before traveling to the area.

In 2021, large fires broke out in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve. The fires lasted more than two weeks before being controlled. These fires caused serious harm to the environment and forced many animals to leave the park and move into nearby human areas.

Wildlife

The park has 1,076 types of plants from 102 different plant families. Ninety-six species of orchids have been found here. It is located in the Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests region, which includes tropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical moist deciduous forests, dry deciduous hill forests, and high-level Sal forests. Grasslands and savannas in the area provide grazing areas for herbivores and hiding places for carnivores. The forest contains many medicinal and aromatic plants, which help tribal people earn money. Eucalyptus trees, planted by the British in the 1900s, are also present.

Simlipal National Park is home to 42 species of mammals, 242 species of birds, and 30 species of reptiles. Major mammals include tigers, leopards, Asian elephants, Sambar deer, barking deer, gaur, jungle cats, wild boars, chausingha (four-horned antelope), giant squirrels, and common langurs.

There are 231 species of bird nests in these forests. Common birds include Red junglefowl, hill mynahs, peafowl, Alexandrine parakeets, crested serpent eagles, grey hornbills, Indian pied hornbills, Malabar pied hornbills, and Indian trogons.

The park has many reptiles, including snakes and turtles. The "Mugger Crocodile Management Programme" has helped Mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris) survive and grow along the Khairi River.

The reserve has about 30 tigers as of 2025. Unlike other tiger reserves in India, Simlipal is isolated and has no nearby tiger populations, making its tigers more likely to face inbreeding and genetic changes. The number of tigers in Simlipal decreased greatly in the past, with only four tigers recorded in 2014. Most tigers today are descendants of those four.

Because of inbreeding, tigers in Simlipal show a rare coloring called pseudo-melanism. About 37% of the park's tigers have this trait, which makes their fur appear mostly black instead of orange with black stripes. In 2024, conservationists moved two female tigers from the Tadoba-Andhari reserve to Simlipal to increase genetic diversity in the tiger population.

Vegetation ecology of Simlipal Biosphere Reserve

A study of plant life in the Simlipal Biosphere Reserve (SBR) was conducted at 10 locations to examine changes in the structure and types of plants found in the core (undisturbed) and buffer (disturbed) areas of the reserve. The study found more herbs and shrubs and fewer trees in the buffer area, which suggests greater human influence. Tree basal area, which measures the area covered by tree trunks, ranged from 48.7 to 78.61 square meters per hectare in the buffer area and from 81.4 to 104.9 square meters per hectare in the core area. The number of saplings and seedlings was similar in both disturbed and undisturbed areas. However, more saplings grew into trees in the undisturbed sites. In disturbed areas, fewer saplings became trees because many seedlings of tree species were removed. The buffer area had higher herb diversity (2.14–3.50) and lower tree diversity (2.14–2.98) due to environmental changes that allowed more herbs and shrubs to grow. Fewer large trees and more young trees in the buffer area show that the plant community has been disturbed and is in a regenerating stage. Greater changes in the ratio of herb species to genus in the buffer area compared to the core area indicate differences in how plant communities are developing in these areas. However, the presence of seedlings from dominant tree species in the buffer area could help restore plant communities over time if protection efforts are improved and threats from living organisms are reduced.