Why is it in the News?

In a significant breakthrough, forest officials at Similipal National Park apprehended four armed poachers and two members of the timber mafia in separate locations on Saturday night.

About Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR):

• Similipal Tiger Reserve is located within the Mayurbhanj District, in the Northernmost part of Odisha.
• Declared a 'Tiger Reserve' in 1956, STR became a part of the national conservation initiative 'Project Tiger' in 1973.
• Recognized by UNESCO in 2009, STR, along with a transitional area covering 2250 sq. km, was included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
• Terrain: Surrounded by high plateaus and hills, STR boasts the twin peaks of Khairiburu and Meghashini, reaching 1515m above mean sea level.
• The undulating and hilly terrain features open grasslands and wooded areas, with the inclined plateau rising abruptly from the low coastal plains.
• Hydrography: The region is crisscrossed with perennial water sources, contributing to rivers like Budhabalanga, Salandi, and various tributaries of the Baitarani River.
• Vegetation: STR encompasses a diverse mix of forest types and habitats, with Northern tropical moist deciduous dominating alongside semi-evergreen patches.
  • Notably, it hosts the world's only landscape with melanistic tigers.
• Tribes: The vicinity of STR is inhabited by various tribes, including Kolha, Santhala, Bhumija, Bhatudi, Gondas, Khadia, Mankadia, and Sahara.
• Flora: Home to an impressive 1078 plant species, including 94 orchid species, STR is characterized by the dominance of Sal trees.
• Fauna: The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife, including leopard, gaur, elephant, langur, barking and spotted deer, sloth bear, mongoose, flying squirrel, porcupine, turtle, monitor lizard, python, sambar, pangolin, and more.

What is the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF)?

• Realizing the importance of ‘tiger protection’ in biodiversity conservation, the Finance Minister announced policy initiatives in February 2008, for constituting the ‘Special Tiger Protection Force’ (STPF).
• Based on the one-time grant of Rs. 50 crore was provided to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for raising, arming and deploying a Special Tiger Protection Force, the proposal for the said force has been approved by the competent authority for 13 tiger reserves.
• The STPF has been made operational in the States of Karnataka (Bandipur), Maharashtra (Pench, Tadoba-Andhari, Nawegaon-Nagzira, Melghat), Rajasthan (Ranthambhore), Odisha (Similipal) and Assam (Kaziranga), out of 13 initially selected tiger reserves, with 60% central assistance under the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger (CSS-PT).