[Watch] Attention World! Odisha’s Princess Airs SOS For Forest Fire In Similipal

By
OB Bureau

Bhubaneswar: The irony is hard to miss! Similipal Wildlife Sanctuary in Odisha’s Mayurbhan district is burning while the world is celebrating Wildlife Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik tweeted on Wednesday celebrating the rich flora and fauna and the need to share a harmonious relationship with them.

Also Read: 5291 Forest Fires In A Week ‘Choke’ Odisha Wildlife; The Highest In The Country

The disturbing fact, however, is that Odisha has witnessed 7,188 forest fires, the highest in the country, since the beginning of the forest fire season in November.

Meanwhile, the concern, which was set in motion by Mayurbhanj princess Akshita M Bhanj Deo through her messages, over the devasting fire that has engulfed Similipal is growing louder.

On March 1, she tweeted about no media covering the fires in Asia’s largest biosphere. This post was retweeted by two Union Ministers from Odisha Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi, seeking the attention of Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.

In a video message on March 2, Akshita raised doubts about the fate of black melanistic tigers only found in the sanctuary. “In a few hours, we will get to know if the last black melanistic tiger is alive or not. These fires are absolutely devastating for wildlife and the indigenous community of Similipal,” she said.

She also talks about rampant poaching and illegal mining and human activities in the sanctuary in the past few years.

In November 2020, amateur photographer Soumen Bajpayee had spotted a rare black tiger at Simlipal Tiger Reserve following which the photographs clicked by him went viral.

“Back then I didn’t have any idea about melanistic tigers. Then suddenly it appeared from the woods, stayed for a few seconds and walked back behind the trees. Initially, I didn’t even recognise what happened as I saw a completely different tiger,” Soumen was quoted as saying by Metro.

Also Read: Amateur Photographer Captures Striking Beauty Of Melanistic Black Tiger In Odisha’s Similipal

OB Bureau

Recent Posts

LLC: Munaweera’s All-Round Show In Vain As Konark Suryas Odisha Suffer 2nd Defeat

Jammu: An all-round show by Sri Lankan Dilshan Munaweera was not enough for Konark Suryas…

October 6, 2024

Central University Of Odisha Student Bags Gold & Silver At Commonwealth Powerlifting

Bhubaneswar: Rohit Patro, a first-year student from the Mathematics department of Central University of Odisha (CUO),…

October 6, 2024

Durga Puja In Odisha: From Puri’s Gosani Yatra To Present-Day Theme Pandals In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Durga Puja or Dussehra festival that is celebrated across Odisha has come a long…

October 6, 2024

IOA’s ‘Faulty’ Agreement With Reliance Resulted In Loss Of Rs 24 Crore: CAG Report

New Delhi: Reliance India Limited (RIL) got undue favour courtesy Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA’s) “faulty” sponsorship…

October 6, 2024

Sexagenarian Arrested For Rape Of Minor Girl In Odisha’s Jajpur

Jajpur: Police have arrested a 60-year-old man for allegedly raping a minor girl in Odisha's…

October 6, 2024

Day Before Hamas Attack Anniversary, Rockets Fired From Gaza Into Israel

New Delhi: A day before the first anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 attack, several rockets were…

October 6, 2024

Two Drunken Bikers Slit Throat Of Auto-Rickshaw Driver In Cuttack City

Cuttack: Two persons allegedly slit the throat of an auto-rickshaw driver following a dispute over…

October 6, 2024

Statehood Demand: Ladakh Activist Sonam Wangchuk Starts Indefinite Hunger Strike

New Delhi: Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk and his supporters launched an indefinite hunger strike at Ladakh…

October 6, 2024