Bhitarkanika National Park: Ecological Overview and Features

#GS-3 #Environment #Biodiversity #Wildlife #Bhitarkanika National Park #Ramsar Site #Odisha

Key takeaways

Hundreds of saltwater crocodile hatchlings recently emerged from 117 nesting sites in Bhitarkanika National Park, Odisha.
Spanning 145 sq km within a larger 672 sq km sanctuary, the park hosts India's second-largest mangrove ecosystem.
Designated as a Ramsar Site in 2002, Bhitarkanika protects saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) and adjoins the Gahirmatha mass-nesting beach for Olive Ridley turtles.

Hundreds of saltwater crocodile hatchlings recently began emerging from 117 nesting sites across Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha.

This protected national park covers 145 sq km and lies inside the larger 672 sq km Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary.
It hosts the second-largest mangrove ecosystem in India and serves as a major estuarine wetland reserve.
The park is located in the northeastern part of Kendrapara district in coastal Odisha, with the Bay of Bengal and Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary to its east.

Government authorities first created Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in April 1975 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to save the declining saltwater crocodile population.
Officials later declared the core zone of 145 sq km as Bhitarkanika National Park on September 16, 1998.
The wetland received global recognition as a Ramsar Site on August 19, 2002, making it the second such site in Odisha after Chilika Lake.

River deposits from the Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Pathsala rivers form an estuarine delta where fresh river water mixes with salty sea tides.
A complex network of winding brackish channels, tidal creeks, and mudflats covers the area, shifting constantly with daily ocean tides.
River silt continuously builds up new land, creating low-lying marshes, tidal silt beds, and fertile floodplains.
Natural sandbars and coastal beaches like Gahirmatha and Hukitola protect the inner wetlands from strong ocean waves.
Highly saline hydromorphic soils create specialized intertidal conditions that nourish diverse mangrove species and salt-tolerant plants.

The park shelters one of the highest densities of saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) in the world, including giant individuals measuring over 6 metres.
It borders Gahirmatha Beach, which serves as a crucial global mass-nesting location for Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea).