Kawal Tiger Reserve is a nature preserve located at Jannaram mandal of Mancherial District (Old Adilabad district) in the Telangana state of India.[1][2] The Government of India declared Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary to be a tiger reserve in 2012.[3] The reserve is the oldest sanctuary in the northern Telangana region of the state. It is well known for its abundant flora and fauna. This sanctuary is catchment for the rivers Godavari and Kadam, which flow towards the south of the sanctuary.[4]
Kawal Tiger Reserve
Jannaram forest | |
|---|---|
wild life sanctuary | |
  Kawal Tiger Reserve Location in Telangana, India | |
| Coordinates: 19°07′08″N 78°59′56″E / 19.1188949°N 78.9989734°E | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Jannaram, Telangana |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,015.44 km2 (778.17 sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Telugu |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
History edit
The KWS was established in 1965 and later declared as a Protected Area (PA) in 1999 under the WPA, 1972.
Tiger reserve status edit
It was listed as a tiger reserve in April 2012.[5] Due to this status, it was developed as a tiger habitat with the release of 150 cheetals as a prey population. To reduce poaching, new checkposts have been created. Traditional sources of water were improved.
Location edit
Mancherial district is situated between 18.8756° N, 79.4591° E. It is surrounded by Adilabad and Komuram Bheem on the north, Karimnagar and Nizamabad on the south and Nanded district on the west. It is located in the Mancherial district at a distance of 50 km (31 mi) from its district headquarters. It extended from the Sahyadri hillranges to the Tadoba forest in Maharashtra (GoAP2012; Rajagopal 1976)[6] It is spread over an area of 893 km2 (345 sq mi), nearly 220,800 acres.[7]
The reserve is accessible from Mancherial 50 kilometres (31 mi) and from Hyderabad 270 kilometres (170 mi) by road. The nearest airport is in Hyderabad.
Wildlife edit
Flora edit
The sanctuary is one of the richest teak forests in the state, with dense pristine areas free of human disturbance. The River Godavari flows through this area. Dry deciduous teak forests mixed with bamboo, terminalia, pterocarpus, anogeissus and cassias.
Fauna edit
Mammal species that have been sighted include tiger, leopard, gaur, cheetal, sambar, nilgai, barking deer, chowsingha, and sloth bear. Several species of birds and reptiles are also found in the sanctuary.
About 48 tigers are currently staying at the sanctuary, according to unofficial government sources, a number which the government hopes will increase over time.[8]
Threats edit
It is increasingly getting threatened by growing human encroachment, rampant poaching, illegal wood felling and habitat loss.
References edit
- ^ "Kawal to be developed as eco-tourism centre". The Times of India. 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
- ^ "Zoo park stripped of striped beauty - South India - Hyderabad - ibnlive". Ibnlive.in.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
- ^ "Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary declared tiger reserve". The Hindu. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
- ^ "Kawal Wildlife Tiger Reserve". forests.telangana.gov.in. Archived from the original on 10 September 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ Singh, S. Harpal (30 September 2012). "Kawal tiger reserve a green oasis". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Rathod, Bikku and Rambabu M. "Tiger Reserve in Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary: Issues and Concerns". International Journal of Innovative Research and Practices. 1. ISSN 2321-2926.(
- ^ "Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : 'Carry on Heaven' play to be staged tomorrow". The Hindu. 6 October 2007. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
- ^ "Jannaram Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary". Telangana 360. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
Further reading edit
Tiger Reserve in Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary: Issues and Concerns by Bikku Rathod and M Rambabu published in International Journal of Innovative Research and Practices Vol.1, Issue 1, January 2013ISSN 2321-2926
External links edit
- Official website Archived 10 September 2019 at the Wayback Machine
- Forest Department of Telangana (India) State Government website
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