Simlipal National Park

Simlipal National Park is a popular attraction of Orissa. The park, named after Semul or red silk cotton trees, covers about 845.70 sq km of deep forests.

Simlipal was originally an elephant reserve and a hunting ground for the royal family. It was declared a tiger reserve in 1956 and was included under Project Tiger in 1973. It was elevated to the status of a National Park in 1979. UNESCO enlisted Simlipal as a Biosphere Reserve in 2009.

Simlipal National Park, which lies at an average altitude of 560 m above sea level, is home to 1076 species of plants, 42 species of mammals, 242 species of birds and 30 species of reptiles. The prime attractions of this reserve are royal Bengal tigers, Asian elephants and gaurs (Indian bisons). Simlipal, since it is the natural habitat of about 96 species of orchids, also has an orchidarium.  There is also a Mugger crocodile farm, which is situated on the banks of River Khairi.