The Satakoshia gorge sanctuary is spread over total 745.52 sq km area, which comes under three revenue districts like Angul, Nayagarh and Boudh. This sanctuary covers a portion of the Eastern Ghat range which is cut off by the stream of Mahanadi and which is also a principal river of the State.
The name Satkoshia relates to a gorge of Mahanadi. This is a major gorge and extends over seven miles from this point of location. This is an excellent tourism spot. The gorge also starts form Tikarpara revenue village, which leads to 60 km from this village to Angul. The Satkoshia sanctuary is a bio-diversity hub of fauna, avifauna, and flora, including amphibians. The Satkoshia gorge is famous for Gharial crocodile. It is has a bigger snout and is a species of the river Ganges of north India and Bangladesh.
This is a freshwater crocodile and feeds on fish alone. It never goes to river mouths, where the animal finds water saline. Another type of crocodile, which is known as “Gomunha” or Magar, a fresh water species, is also noticed in the gorge.
The eco-system of Satkoshia can be compared with the eco-system of the river Ganges. Other rare reptiles like “Chitra-Kanich”, a tortoise and variety of terrapins with a number of amphibian species are found in the ecosystem.
A Gharial breeding farm has been established at Tikarapara since 1970. The aim of establishing of the breeding centre is to increase the population of Gharials in our river system, which is almost a vanishing species of our wetlands. Similarly, another breeding centre of Muggar or Gomunha has been established at Ramatirth in the ringed ecosystem of Similipal. Also a saltwater crocodile has been established at the same period at Bhitarkanika. Bhitarkanika is an estuarine ecosystem. Now, the census of Baula Kumbhir is going on.
However, these three species of reptiles are well rehabilitated in the wetlands of Odisha, which are top carnivores of the river system. When the crocodile is an apex carnivore in the river systems of Odisha, the Royal Bengal tiger is the apex carnivore in the land of Odisha. But due to rapid industrialisation and mining of minerals throughout the State forests, including urbanisations and agricultural practices, the populations of carnivores in the land and in water with all kinds of herbivores are depleting fast in Odisha.
The main feature of Satkosia is that while its northern side is composed up of several live hillocks, the southern side of the gorge is composed of Padmatola hillocks, which come under Baisipal Sanctuary. The Patmatola hillocks are very famous for Ophidea snakes.
The main ophidian and carnivore is python and the highest poisonous snake is king cobra. Of both the sanctuaries, Satkoshia is a unique biological unit of the State, which is always regulated by peninsular climate of the zone. The Bay of Bengal is not too far from this tiger habitat. The Bay of Bengal is a portion of the Indian Ocean, which is hardly 200 km from this ecological hub. But it is unfortunate that the protection of the ecological hub is very weak and not up to the mark.
The major floras of this section of ecological complex are Sal, Piasal, Dhawara, Asana, Gambari Phasi, Mahula Chara Karada, Chhatian Patuli, etc. But bamboo is the most dominant species of the region. The bamboo forests are good habitat of tigers and elephants, including prey animals of carnivores.
This is a unique climate for fauna, and avifauna. The major species of fauna are tiger, leopard, striped hyena, wild dog (Dhole), Indian wolf, sloth bear and jackal etc among the carnivores. Similarly among herbivores, elephants, sambar, chital, barking deer, mouse deer (four horned antelope), nilgai, pangolin, wild pig etc are included. Again among the reptiles, Gharials, Muggar, monitor lizard, chameleon, terrapins and different kinds of snakes etc are found. There are also varieties of rodents, such as porcupines, rabbits, rats and mice etc.
The different types of avifauna like residents and non-resident migratory birds are found in the gorge as well as in the adjoining land mass. There are also varieties of ground birds and predatory birds noticed in the region. Besides, there are also birds like wood peckers, pigeons, kites, falcons etc which are frequently noticed. Its natural surroundings are so attractive that it casts permanent impression in the minds of the visitors.
The Satkoshia tiger reserve is a permanent habitat of the Royal Bengal tigers of Indo-pacific origin. Due to constant interferences of man and rising civilisations of this region, the habitat of tigers is disturbed.
As a result, the population of tiger is reduced to one or two. The potentialities of a tiger habitat always depend on availability of prey animals, peaceful shelter without any disturbances and no interferences of man. When the top carnivore becomes invalid due to oldness and for the reasons of disabilities for any reasons, it attacks the cattle and sometimes man for its survival.
The writer was very much attached to the Satkoshia forests of Angul Forest Division. The population of Royal tigers was quite sound during the 70s and 80s. In 1971, a tiger was killed by local people through application of food poisoning in Bantala Forest Range of Angul Forest Division. The reason was that the carnivore was regularly killing cattle and even attacking human beings.
This forest is highly prone to unlawful poaching. Since long, an attempt was made to make this eco-system as tiger-reserve and to follow the conservation strategies; but it could not be made, because of callousness of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
The major degradation factors of the tiger ecosystem are carrying out of coalmines and industries in close proximity of the eco-system. Every tiger reserve has a buffer zone, which provides additional cruising to animals for their sustainability. When the buffer zone is utilised for mining and other purposes etc, there is direct imposition of restrictions on the movement of wild animals.
At present, the rehabilitation of tigers in Satkoshia is carried out. Two tigers, the female known as ‘Sundari’ and the male known as “Kahna’ were brought from Kahina Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh for propagation of tigers through natural process of breeding. This attempt is good, provided the potentialities of the reserve are enhanced to make it sustainable for the tigers. The habitat should be improved artificially to supplement the natural process.
Both the animals, female and male, are monitored through “Radio Collar Bel” to study their movements in the new surrounding and acceptance of new habitat. The tiger has no family. The tiger mates after rainy season. The mating of Sundari with Kahna is usually expected during mating period of the royal cat. The wildlife managers of the tiger reserve Satakoshia should wait till pairing time of the royal cats.
Some doubt have been raised with regard to the climate of Satakoshia and whether it would acceptable to these two cats, which have brought from the Kahna National Park of Madhy Pradesh to Odisha. In reality there is no difference between the climate of Kahna and Satakoshia; rather the climate of Satakoshia is more congenial to the cat.
(The writer is a former forest officer and an environmentalist. Email: nadiya.kanungo@gmail.com, M-9937460649)