Context

• Gupteshwar Forest, located near the Jeypore Gupteshwar Shiva Temple in Koraput district in Odisha, has been designated as the fourth biodiversity heritage site of Orissa.

Background

• With this announcement the state now has four biodiversity heritage sites.
• The other three include Mandasaru in Kandhamala district, Mahendragiri and Bargarh in Gajapati district and Gandhamardan Biodiversity Site in Bolangir district.

Key Points

• Gupteshwar forest is spread over 350 hectares.
• The site is rich in a variety of flora and fauna, including a grove of sacred trees traditionally revered by the local community.
• Biodiversity inventory and survey conducted by Odisha Biodiversity Board revealed the existence of at least 608 animal species including 28 species of mammals, 188 of birds, 18 of amphibians, 48 of reptiles, 45 of fishes, 141 species of butterflies. Has been received.
• Important fauna species like Crocodile, Conger Valley Rock Gecko, Sacred Grove Bush Frog and avifauna like Black Baja, Jerdan Baja, Malabar Trogon, Common Hill Myna, White-bellied Woodpecker, Banded Bay Cuckoo etc. are present in this forest.
• The limestone caves of Gupteshwar are rich in eight species of bats out of the total sixteen species found in southern Odisha.
• Two of these species, Galeritus and Rhinolophus rouxi, are listed as endangered in the IUCN list.
• This forest also has a diversity of flowers which include 182 species of plants, 177 species of herbs, 14 species of orchids and medicinal plants like Indian trumpet tree, Indian snakeroot, cumbi gum tree, garlic etc.

Benefits of being declared a biodiversity heritage site

• Declaring Gupteshwar as a biodiversity heritage site will not only increase people's cultural attachment towards this forest but will also conserve its valuable biodiversity.
• This forest will help in the livelihood of people through ecotourism and minor forest produce.

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR EXAM

Odisha

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
• Governor: Raghubar Das

Other major protected areas of Odisha

• Bhitarkanika National Park
• Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary
• Chilka (Nalban) Wildlife Sanctuary
• Hadagarh Wildlife Sanctuary
• Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary
• Kotagarh Wildlife Sanctuary
• Nandankanan Wildlife Sanctuary
• Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
• Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife Sanctuary
• Similipal Biosphere Reserve