Odisha Biodiversity Board proposes to declare Mahendragiri as a biosphere reserve

TNI Bureau: Odisha Biodiversity Board has proposed to the Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Department to declare Mahendragiri as a biosphere reserve. Mahendragiri hills situated in Gajapati district are popular for its scenic beauty and it’s topographic heights hoses many endangered plant and animal species.

However, the population of wildlife is on the wane due to unsustainable anthropogenic activities.

According to reports, the rich flora in Mahendragiri represents 40 percent of the reported flora of the world, with around 1,348 species of plants.

The faunal diversity of the hills consists of 388 species of animals, including 27 species of mammals, 165 species of birds, 23 species of snakes, 15 species of amphibians, three species of turtles, and 19 lizards.