Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary Known For Rare BlackBucks and Marine Life

Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is located along the Bay of Bengal coast, in Odisha, India. It is situated between the temple towns of Puri and Konark.

Black bucks inside Balukhand Konark Wildlife SanctuaryBlackbucks inside Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary.

Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary and Balukhand Konark Sanctuary.

Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an area of 72 square kilometers. It was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1984.  Coastal dunes, Sandy beaches, Casuarina tree groves (which were planted early in the last century), and cashew plantations are there in the Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary, along with native flora. Tamarind, Anacardium, Karanja, Polanga, Neem, etc, are also found in this sanctuary. This wildlife sanctuary is rich in flora and fauna.

Spotted deer and the rare Blackbuck can be seen on the Marine Drive road. Striped Hyena and  Jungle Cat are some of the other wild animals found in this sanctuary.

Rivers Nuanai and Kushabhadra pass through the sanctuary, and the river mouths are part of the sanctuary area.

The sanctuary plays a major role in the erosion of land and also in the prevention of seawater ingress. It also helps in recharging the freshwater levels.

The Talabani area, contiguous to the sanctuary on the western side, is a sweet water zone, and Puri town depends on this.

Around 30 springs are situated inside the sanctuary. More than 300 species of rare plants and animals are found in and around these springs.

How Do I Go to Balukhand Konark Wildlife Sanctuary?

Puri town is situated close to the western boundary of the Balukhand sanctuary, at around three kilometers distance. Puri – Konark Marine Drive road passes through the Sanctuary.

Konark town is situated at a distance of 11 kilometers from the sanctuary entry gate.

There are no hotels inside the sanctuary. Puri and Konark are the two nearby cities with hotels.

For further information, please get in touch with the Divisional Forest Officer (Puri Wildlife Division).  The phone number is 06752-228281, and the email ID is dfopuri@gmail.com. 

Comments

  1. I love wildlife, and I’m sure I would love to visit this sanctuary! Seeing the combination of both animals and plant life would be really amazing and fun for me.

  2. Looks like a good place to see wildlife. I am sure the travellers, who look for this place would find your post useful

  3. This is a must visit in India! I am imagining myself doing photoshoot here

  4. Sandy beaches and dunes, cashew plantations, tamarind and neem trees, springs, rare species and animals …

    The Balukhand Wildlife Sanctuary sounds so exotic and inviting for all true nature lovers!

  5. I am planing a visit to India next year and this place looks amazing! Perfect combination of flora and fauna 😉

  6. I’ve been to Odisha, to explore its heritage. I’m yet to embark on a journey to explore its nature! Both Balukhand Sanctuary and Chilika lake are a must visit. Hope I’ll get there again soon.

  7. The Balukhand Konark wildlife sanctuary looks like an amazing destination to witness animals in their natural environment. I’ve only been to Disney Safari once but would love to visit this sanctuary if I’ll ever visit India!

  8. Avatar for George Denny George

    I lived in Odisha for over 6 months a few years back and have been to Puri a couple of times. However, I had ni idea that this wildlife sanctuary existed. Thank you for the info. It certainly looks like an interesting place to visit.

  9. I have never been to any Wildlife Sanctuary and this seemed to be a perfect place to amble around while experiencing the wildlife animals. Knowing that it has around72 square kilometers, this must be quite big, which enough to let the wild animals grow in their own natural state. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

  10. Avatar for George Ala

    This wildlife is amazing to discover. Thank you for sharing your experience, it looks really amazing.

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