About Easter Island:

• It is a Chilean dependency in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
• It is the easternmost outpost of the Polynesian island world.
• Named Rapa Nui by its earliest residents, it is one of the most isolated inhabited islands in the world.
• It was discovered by Europeans on Easter Sunday (1722) by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen. Hence the name “Easter Island”.
• It faces a tropical rainforest climate.
• The island comprises three extinct volcanoes, namely Terevaka, Poike, and Rano Kau.
• The island has no permanent rivers but contains three crater lakes, namely Rano Aroi, Rano Raraku, and Rano Kau.
• It is known for its iconic Moai statues, carved by the indigenous Rapa Nui people.
• UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site and major parts of the island have been protected under the Rapa Nui National Park.

What are Moai Statues?

• Rapa Nui is famous for its large statues called moai.
• They are shaped like large human heads and erected on stone pedestals.
• They are famous for their carved heads and “Pukao,” a hat-like covering made from a soft red stone.
• They were carved in volcanic stone at quarries and then moved to their current locations across the island.
• Scholars believe the Rapa Nui people built the moai between the 13th and the 16th centuries and represented their revered ancestors.

What is Rongorongo?

• Rongorongo is a writing system that comprises carved symbols, known as glyphs, on wooden tablets and artefacts discovered in Easter Island.
• Rongorongo differs from other scripts in that it has not yet been deciphered.
• Rongorongo was noted for the first time in 1864 when it was observed by Europeans.
• Rongorongo looks very different from the European writing This has led some experts to believe it may have developed locally by the inhabitants.

About Kotgarh Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the Kandhamal district of Odisha.
• It’s classified as a moist deciduous forest in the Eastern Highlands.
• The sanctuary is home to some tribal settlements, including Kutia Kondh and Desia Kondh.
• Vegetation: The sanctuary’s principal vegetation is dense, damp deciduous forests with meadows.
• Flora: Sal, Piasal, Sisoo, Kendu, Gamhar, Asan, Kusum, Harida, Bahada, Amala, Mango, Tamarind, Mahua, Jackfruit, Randhan, Kangada, Jamun, Salapo, Bheru, Arjun, Char, Dhaura, and Kochila are among the prevalent flora.
• Many rare and endangered medicinal plants exist, including Abutilon Indicum, Cissus quadrangularis, Crateva Magna, Cycas sphaerica, etc.
• Fauna:
  • Tigers, elephants, Gaur, Sambar deer, Spotted deer, Peafowl, Red jungle fowl, Blackbuck, Leopard, Sloth bear, Chital, and various bird and reptile species, including rare species like Forsten's cat snake (Boiga forsteni), can all be found in this sanctuary.
  • The sanctuary’s major attraction is the Chousingha, or four-horned antelope.