- Recently, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife gave approval for the use of 4.68 hectares of forest land from Kapilash Wildlife Sanctuary for the proposed 111-km six-lane Capital Region Ring Road project.
- About Kapilash Wildlife Sanctuary
- Location: Dhenkanal district of Odisha (Chota Nagpur Plateau Region)
- The sanctuary is known for its scenic landscape of hills, forests, and caves.
- Inside the sanctuary lies the famous Kapilasa Temple, located atop a hill. It is believed to have been constructed by Kapilendra Deva (ruler of Odisha from 1435 to 1467 AD).
- Vegetation: Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forest ecoregion.
- Flora: Sal Trees (Dominant). Others include amla, teak, and kadamba.
- Fauna:
- It is home to many animal species, including Elephants, Jungle cats, Sloth bears, Spotted deer and Jackals.
- It also hosts several birds like Peacocks, Junglefowl and Kingfishers.
- In addition, the sanctuary supports reptiles and unique mammals such as pangolins and porcupines.
