Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary, Wildlife refuge in Khordha district, India

Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary is a wildlife refuge in Khordha district, Odisha state, spreading across hilly terrain and dense forest near Cuttack city. The reserve contains several natural water sources, including two major dams that attract elephant herds during dry months.

The Indian government created this elephant reserve in December 1982 to protect the native elephant population within the Eastern Ghats biotic region. Since then, the refuge has undergone several expansions to secure migration corridors for the animals.

The sanctuary takes its name from the Chandaka forest tract on the Khurdha uplands, and the Odia name for the reserve is Chandaka Hati Abhayaranya. The forest is divided into six vegetation types, among them coastal sal forest, thorny bamboo brakes and planted teak. The Odia source names Kochilaberana, Pitagadia and Charichhak as the watchtowers used for wildlife viewing, and Kumarkhunti and Ambila as places with rest houses for overnight stays.

Visitors can observe wildlife from several observation towers near Deras Dam and Jhumka Dam, with guest houses available for overnight stays. The best time to visit falls between October and March, when temperatures are cooler and elephants appear more frequently near water sources.

In the winter of 2012, researchers found footprints of a tigress and her cub in the sanctuary, the first evidence of tigers there in about 40 years. The Zoological Survey of India counted 37 mammal species, 167 bird species and 33 reptile species in 2002. Mugger crocodiles released into the reserve have adapted to its large water bodies.