Telangana Tiger Reserves UPSC

Telangana has 2 designated tiger reserve.

Table of Contents

1. Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve

The Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve is spread over Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The tiger reserve covers parts of the following districts:

Kawal Tiger Reserve
Kawal Tiger Reserve is located in the Adilabad district of the Indian state of Telangana.
In 1965, Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary was established.
In 1999, Kawal wildlife sanctuary declared as the Protected Area (PA) under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
In 2012, Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary was officially declared a tiger reserve.
Area: The Kawal Tiger Reserve covers an area of approximately 1015 square kilometers.

River: The Kadam River flows through the tiger reserve.
Flora: Teak, Bamboo, Axlewood, Terminalia crenulata, Terminalia arjuna, Indian frankincense, Indian almond, Sterculia etc.
Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Chinkara, Blackbuck, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Jungle Cat, Greater Coucal, White-bellied Drongo, Brown Fish Owl, Common Kingfisher, Indian Rock Python, Common Monitor Lizard etc.

Amrabad Tiger Reserve is located in Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts of Telangana State in India. Almost 90% of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve is located within Nagarkurnool district.
Prior to its establishment as a separate tiger reserve, the Amrabad area was a part of the larger Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR).
In 1983, the NSTR was notified as a tiger reserve.
In 2014, Following the bifurcation of the state of Andhra Pradesh, the northern part of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve was transferred to the newly formed state of Telangana. This portion of the reserve was then renamed as the Amrabad Tiger Reserve under the Project Tiger initiative.
Area: It spans an area of approximately 2,611 square kilometers. It is India’s second-largest tiger reserve, next only to Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).
Hills: It is situated in the Nallamala Hills of the Eastern Ghats.
River: The river Krishna flows through the Amrabad Tiger Reserve.
Tribe: The main tribal groups found in and around the reserve include:

Flora: Southern Tropical Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest (teak, Terminalia species, Pterocarpus species, Lagerstroemia species etc.), Deccan Thorn Scrub Forests (Acacia species, Ziziphus species, Prosopis species, and various cacti) etc.
Fauna: Tiger, Indian Leopard, Sloth Bear, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Indian Pangolin, Indian Roller, Indian Grey Hornbill, Indian Rock Python, Common Indian Krait, Indian Sand Boa etc.