Bhubaneswar: The state government has declared Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district as a National Park.

The Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department today issued a notification in this regard.

The STR is spread over 2,306.61 sq km area. Out of this, an area of 845.70 sq km has been declared as the National Park.

As per the criteria, the National Park must be completely inviolate and free from human habitation and movement of domestic animals.

The core area of Similipal, spread over 1,194.75 sq km area, had six villages. The district administration in Mayurbhanj has relocated the villages and declared 845.70 sq km area as free from human habitations.

Notably, Similipal is well-known across the Globe for its melanistic or black tiger population.

Similipal is the second National Park in Odisha and 107th in India. Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district had been declared as a National Park in 1998.

A proposal to declare Similipal as a National Park was first moved in 1980. However, it could not get the due approval in the last four decades.

As per Forest department data, Similipal is home to 40 wild tigers, including several melanistic ones. Besides, it is home to 25 per cent of Odisha’s elephant population.

Besides, one can find 104 species of orchid, around 360 species of birds and diverse species of mammals at Similipal.

“Similipal was declared as a National Park after receiving an approval in this regard from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi,” said the Forest Department.