Baisipali Wildlife Sanctuary, Wildlife refuge in Nayagarh district, India
Baisipali Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife refuge in Nayagarh district, in the Indian state of Odisha, set within the Eastern Ghats where the Mahanadi River carves a deep gorge through the hills. Sal trees cover most of the land, from the river valleys up to the higher ridges of the range.
The sanctuary was established by the Odisha government in 1981 to protect the sal forests and their wildlife from further decline. It was later brought into a broader tiger conservation program, which recognized its value for protecting large predators across the Eastern Ghats.
The name Baisipali comes from the twenty-two villages that were once located inside the protected area, showing how closely local people are tied to these forests. Visitors today can still notice how life along the edges of the sanctuary is shaped by the surrounding woodland.
The drier months, roughly from October to June, are the best time to visit as paths are easier to walk and animals tend to be more visible. Guided walks and boat trips on the Mahanadi are available on site, allowing visitors to see the landscape from different angles.
Tigers, leopards, and elephants all share the same sal forests here, which is unusual even by the standards of large wildlife areas in India. Having several large predators living alongside each other in one stretch of forest gives researchers a rare chance to study how they divide and use the same land.
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