Kawal Tiger Reserve

The Kawal Tiger Reserve is located in Telangana State along the banks of the river Godavari. It is one of the richest wildlife habitats in Telangana, with a population of tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and Indian bison. The reserve has a total area of 1015.35 square kilometres and was established in 2012. 

There are two Tiger Reserves in Telangana.

• Kawal Tiger Reserve.
• Amrabad Tiger Reserve

Kawal Tiger Reserve.

Along the Godavari River banks, the Kawal Tiger Reserve in Telangana State is part of the Deccan Peninsula’s central highlands. The reserve is located in the Sahyadri Mountain Ranges and has a diversified ecology that includes dense forests, grasslands, open areas, rivers, streams, and water bodies.

Timeline of Kawal Tiger Reserve.

• The Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary was founded in 1965 as a game reserve and was later designated as a sanctuary in 1999. It is one of Telangana’s oldest and largest wildlife sanctuaries, encompassing an area of 892.23 square kilometres.
• In 2012, the Indian government designated Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve.

Area of Kawal Tiger Reserve.

• It is spread throughout five forest divisions in Adilabad district: Adilabad, Asifabad, Bellampalli, Jannaram, and Nirmal.
• The sanctuary’s lifeline is the Kadem river, Kadem reservoir, Peddavagu, and the related canal network.
• It is one of Central India’s finest teak forests.

 Protected Area of the Kawal Tiger Reserve

• Core: 892.23 sq. km.
• Buffer: 123.12 sq. km.
• Total Area: 1015.35 sq. kms.

A tiger reserve’s core region is an essential component because it is where the tigers live. The core area is usually made up of a protected forest area and a buffer zone around it. The buffer zone protects the forest from development and human activity while simultaneously providing services to the local people.

Surrounding Areas of Kawal Tiger Reserve

Geographically, the reserve is located at the southernmost point of the central Indian tiger landscape, with tiger corridors to the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) and the Indravati Tiger Reserve (Chhattisgarh).

As a result, the habitat is extremely important for tiger conservation in the region. It also serves as a key catchment area for the Godavari River and small creeks like Peddavagu and Kadam.

Kawal Tiger Reserve Map

Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary

The Kawal Tiger Reserve represents the floral and faunal richness of the Deccan Plateau. The reserve, located in the Sahyadri Mountain Ranges, runs across the Adilabad district and provides a superb mosaic of wildlife habitats in the form of dense forests, grasslands, open regions, rivers, streams, and water bodies.

Animals in Kawal tiger reserve

Kawal features fauna that is typical of the Deccan Plateau. The following are major wild animals: nilgai, chousinga, chinkara, blackbuck, sambar, spotted deer, wild dog, wolf, jackal, fox, tiger, leopard, and jungle cat. 

Six hundred seventy-three other plant species complement the reserve’s extensive teak and bamboo forests. The varied geography, diverse habitat, and climatic circumstances support a rich range of wild animal species, including mammals such as the Royal Bengal Tiger, Gaur, wild dog, and sloth bear. A rare blend of herbivores represented by antelopes and deer.

The major ethnic groups of the Kawal wildlife sanctuary

The Kawai wildlife sanctuary region is home to more than ten ethnic tribal groups from central India. They are Gonds, Kolams, Pardhans (Pradhans), Thotis, Mannewars, Dadve, Koyas, Gowari, and Naikpods. The Yerukulas and Lambadis are mostly found on plains.

 Forest type in Kawal Tiger Reserve

Kawai is biogeographically located in the Deccan Plateau Zone. The primary forest vegetation is “Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest: Dry Teak Series and Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forests Series.” Teak and bamboo can be found in abundance.

Which tiger reserve has the highest tiger density?

Tiger Density In India : Region	Example	Tiger density per 100 sq.km
Terai and Shivalik region	Corbett Tiger Reserve	10-16 tigers
Reserves of North-Central Western Ghats	Bandipur Tiger Reserve	7-11 tigers
Dry deciduous forests of central India.	Kanha Tiger Reserve	6-10 tigers
Sunderbans Mangroves	Sunderbans Tiger Reserve	4 tigers

A brief about the second tiger reserve in Telangana.

Amrabad Tiger Reserve

The Amrabad Tiger Reserve lies in the Nallamalla Hills in Telangana, and one can reach the Amrabad Tiger Reserve by taking the road from Hyderabad to Srisailam.

Before separating Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in 2014, Amrabad Tiger Reserve was part of India’s largest tiger reserve. Despite the division, it still happens to be India’s second-largest tiger reserve, next only to its partner, the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve. Together they form what is probably India’s largest protected dry forest.

Amrabad Tiger Reserve Forest is home to the most significant number of tigers in Telangana State. It is a mysterious landscape of lofty hills and cavernous valleys with perennial rivers. The hilly terrain of this tiger reserve, with deep valleys and gorges, forms the Krishna River’s catchment.

More details about Amrabad Tiger Reserve