Hadagarh Wildlife Sanctuary

Hadagarh Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected wildlife sanctuary spread over 191.06 sq km across Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts in Odisha, near Hadagarh village. Established in 1978, it encompasses the Hadagarh Dam reservoir on the Salandi River and surrounding dry deciduous forests and hills. It is notable for its elephant population, diverse mammals, birds and reptiles, and its reservoir landscape.

Visitors can expect a forested landscape of dry deciduous and mixed forests interspersed with hills and the large Hadagarh reservoir on the Salandi River. The sanctuary offers wildlife viewing opportunities for elephants, leopards, tigers, deer, wild boar and numerous bird species, along with watchtowers, forest trails, and boating views on the reservoir. Facilities are basic with a forest rest house and limited amenities, and entry requires forest department permission.

Notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1978 with an area of 191.06 sq km across Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts. Established primarily for conservation of elephants and other wildlife in the Salandi River catchment. The Hadagarh Dam, built on the Salandi River, created the large reservoir that now forms a central feature of the sanctuary ecosystem.

The sanctuary landscape includes villages inhabited by local tribal communities whose livelihoods are traditionally linked to the forest. The reservoir and surrounding forest are locally significant for water resources and as part of the broader Simlipal-Kuldiha-Hadagarh elephant conservation landscape.