Secrets of Similipal: A Wonderland of Elephants and Melanistic Tigers

by Swain, S K

ISBN: 9789354615924
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Imprint : Daya Publishing House
Year : 2023
Price : Rs. 8295.00
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Author Profile

Dr Debabrata Swain, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Odisha was once the Director of Similipal biosphere and tiger reserve, and coordinator of Mayurbhanj elephant reserve from the year 2002 to 2007. He was also Inspector General, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Nagpur Region during 2014- 2017 and head (Member Secretary, NTCA, New Delhi) from 2017-2018. He is at present an Honourable Member of Odisha Lokayukta. He has widely travelled the wildlife hotspots of India and abroad and participated in an aerial survey of elephants in Kenya and Tanzania during January/February 2005. He is a Bullard Fellow of Harvard University, USA and recipient of many other fellowships including Fulbright fellowship. He was also awarded as Eminent Environmentalist of Odisha by Prasanna Kumar Dash Birth Centenary Memorial Committee in 2019.

About The Book

Similipal is astoundingly beautiful with its breath-taking landscapes, cascading waterfalls, meandering perennial streams and rich biodiversity. It comprises of unique flora and fauna representing the elements of both North-East and the Western Ghats. It has the largest population of Asian elephants in the East-central landscape. Though the tiger population is sparse, the preponderance of melanistic tigers is intriguing, and all of which this book narrates with extraordinary skill and erudition. The book incorporates many new aspects that pose grave threat to this precious ecosystem and discusses ways to overcome the same. Enriched with tell-tale photographs, the author who has a long and lingering association with Similipal and experiences as head of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, describes different facets of this wonderland lucidly. He has a facile pen with which he has authored the contents with in-depth precision and meticulous details. Thus, the book has been infused with appropriate ingredients to make a prized possession for scholars, researchers, wildlife buffs, ecologists, environmentalists, managers and policymakers of protected areas, tiger reserves, elephant reserves and biosphere reserves.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement vii Foreword ix Preface xi 1. The Landscape 1 2. The Forest 9 3. The Fauna 27 4. The People 79 5. The Management 89 6. The Corridor 109 7. The Epilogue 121 References 135 Appendices 151 Index 217