• Situated in the Mayurbhanj District, Northern Odisha, surrounded by high plateaus and hills.
• Twin peaks Khairiburu and Meghashini, rising to 1515 meters above mean sea level.
• Undulating and hilly terrain, interspersed with open grasslands and wooded areas.
• Inhabited by tribes like Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia, and Sahara.
• Declared a Tiger Reserve in 1956; brought under Project Tiger in 1973.
• Included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2009.

• Flora: Home to 1078 species of plants, including 94 species of orchids, with Sal as the dominant tree species.
• Fauna: Rich wildlife, including Leopards, Gaurs, Elephants, Langurs, Barking Deer, Spotted Deer, Sloth Bears, Mongoose, Flying Squirrels, Porcupines, Pythons, Sambar, Pangolins, and more.
• It is critical habitat for birds, including migratory species like Bar-Headed Geese and Brahmini Ducks, and home to freshwater snails (Radix genus) in its water bodies.
• Melanistic Tigers:
  • Similipal hosts 27 of Odisha’s 30 tigers (AOTE-2023-24), including 13 pseudo-melanistic tigers with unique black-striped patterns due to a mutation in the Taqpep gene.
  • It is the only wild habitat in the world with pseudo-melanistic tigers.

PYQ:

[2011] Two important rivers – one with its source in Jharkhand (and known by a different name in Odisha), and another, with its source in Odisha – merge at a place only a short distance from the coast of Bay of Bengal before flowing into the sea. This is an important site of wildlife and biodiversity and a protected area.

Which one of the following could be this?

(a) Bhitarkanika

(b) Chandipur-on-sea

(c) Gopalpur-on-sea

(d) Simlipal