Mangalajodi is one of India’s top wildlife destinations having been placed firmly in the tourist circuit. The critical and catalytic role played by ‘Wild Orissa’, an organisation for conservation of wildlife and nature, in a novel initiative of weaning people away from poaching and ensuring for them an alternative livelihood has been documented as case studies and subject matter for research.
This initiative stands out as one of India’s best practices in wildlife conservation, where one time poachers and hunters of birds are today’s conservationists. There have been some similar success stories in India, like Periyar in Kerala where poachers have been brought together to operate wildlife tourism venture of the State Government.
Mangalajodi is famous for its birds and people throng here to see the natural surrounding and the colourful winged creatures. The story goes back to 1996 when Wild Orissa decided to intervene in Mangalajodi to combat rampant poaching of thousands of waterfowl both resident and migratory. Most of the birds killed were being traded while much of bird eggs were also consumed by the local communities.
Sri Sri Mahavir Pakshi Suraksha Samiti of Mangalajodi (SSMPSS), which was constituted by Wild Orissa during 2000, was put in place consisting of the onetime poachers in an exercise in which Nanda Kishore Bhujabal from Tangi played an important role. Chilka’s leading poacher, christened ‘Verappan of Chilka’ Kishore Behera and others including Madhava Behera and Rama Hari became part of this bird protection committee.
Eco tourism which got initiated during 2002 by Wild Orissa as an alternative source of livelihood income, is today one of the chief bread earner for the families of the onetime poachers in Mangalajodi.
Wild Orissa donated boats and facilitated training in wildlife and eco-tourism. This alternative income generating initiative has grown over the years and today people from all over the world visit Mangalajodi to see the birds. Private businesses have come up, providing facilities for stay and travel coupled with trained eco-guides, which is providing income to many families and engages the members of the bird protection committee.
Around 240 species of birds are seen in Mangalajodi, some of which are visitors from Europe, Siberia and China, etc. Mangalajodi is also a very critical bird breeding habitat for a large variety of resident birds, some of which are extremely rare and endangered. There is an immediate need to safeguard this delicate ecosystem from getting destroyed forever.
Wild Orissa organised an interaction with stakeholders of the bird habitat. Many important issues were adopted including need for restricting tourist movements in designated waterways, ensuring sanctity of bird breeding areas, use of ecologically sustainable tourism practices, stricter enforcement of norms by wildlife officials, plantations of fruit bearing local species for benefit of birds, etc. The interaction also resolved to request the district administration for providing improved sanitation facilities, manned railway crossing, designated parking area for vehicles and strengthening earthen embankment, etc.