Odisha, a state blessed with diverse ecosystems, boasts an extensive forest cover and rich wildlife. According to a 2012 report by the Forest Survey of India, Odisha has 48,903 km² of wild forest, making up 31.41% of its total area. These forests are categorized into dense forests (7,060 km²), medium dense forests (21,366 km²), open forests (20,477 km²), and scrub forests (4,734 km²). The state is also home to bamboo forests covering 10,518 km² and mangrove swamps spread across 221 km². However, Odisha's wilderness is under threat due to timber smuggling, deforestation, mining, industrial expansion, and livestock grazing. Conservation and reforestation efforts are underway to combat these challenges.
Thanks to its favorable climate and abundant rainfall, Odisha nurtures diverse flora, including wild orchids. Over 130 orchid species have been recorded in the state, with 97 species concentrated in Mayurbhanj district. The Orchid House at Nandankanan Zoological Park preserves several of these species.
Located in northern Mayurbhanj district, Simlipal National Park spans 2,750 km² and serves as a Bengal tiger reserve. This protected area is a biodiversity hotspot, home to 1,078 plant species, including 94 varieties of orchids, with sal trees dominating the landscape. The park shelters 55 mammal species such as Bengal tigers, Indian elephants, chital, muntjac, jungle cats, leopards, Indian giant squirrels, and wild boars. It also hosts over 300 bird species, including common hill mynas and Malabar pied hornbills, along with 60 species of reptiles and amphibians, including the king cobra. Additionally, a mugger crocodile breeding program operates in Ramtirtha, near the park.
Situated near Bhubaneswar, Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary covers 190 km². However, rapid urbanization and deforestation have led to the migration of elephants, causing frequent human-elephant conflicts. In 2002, the sanctuary housed around 80 elephants, but by 2012, the population dwindled to 20 due to habitat loss, electrocution from power lines, train accidents, and poaching. Many elephants have moved to the Barbara Reserve forest, Chilika Lake, Nayagarh district, and Athagad. Besides elephants, the sanctuary is home to leopards, jungle cats, and herds of chital deer.
Located in Kendrapara district, Bhitarkanika National Park spans 650 km², with 150 km² covered by mangroves. Gahirmatha Beach, within the park, serves as the world's largest nesting site for olive ridley sea turtles. To protect this endangered species, the Indian Coast Guard launched Operation Oliver in 2013. Other significant turtle nesting sites in Odisha include Rushikulya in Ganjam district and the Devi river mouth. The park is also home to a thriving population of saltwater crocodiles, Asian water monitors (the second-largest lizard species on Earth), axis deer, and rhesus macaques. The coastal mangrove habitats host unique species of mudskippers.
During winter, Bhitarkanika transforms into a haven for migratory birds. The park hosts species like black-capped, collared, and common kingfishers, grey and purple herons, Indian cormorants, openbill storks, white ibises, sarus cranes, pheasant-tailed jacanas, and white-bellied sea eagles. The region is also home to the possibly endangered horseshoe crab.
Chilika Lake, a brackish water lagoon on Odisha's east coast, spans 1,105 km². It connects to the Bay of Bengal via a 35-km-long channel and is part of the Mahanadi delta. During the dry season, tides bring in saltwater, while monsoon-fed rivers reduce the lake's salinity. Every winter, migratory birds from the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas flock to the lagoon. Notable avian species include Eurasian wigeons, pintails, bar-headed geese, greylag geese, greater flamingos, common mallards, and Goliath herons.
Chilika also harbors a small but crucial population of the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin. The state's coastal waters are home to other marine mammals, such as the rare finless porpoise and more commonly spotted bottlenose, humpback, and spinner dolphins.
Satapada, located near Chilika's northeast cape, is a famous destination for dolphin watching. A small island along the route provides tourists with a vantage point for spotting dolphins and observing tiny red crabs that inhabit the area.