Kawal Tiger Reserve: The Best Place to See the Big Cats of Telangana

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. 

Historically, Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1965 as a game reserve in the Jannaram Mandal of Mancherial District (formerly Adilabad District) in the state of Telangana, India. It now covers parts of four districts in the state – Adilabad, Kumaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial and Nirmal. Kawal was later declared a Protected Area in 1999 and recognized as a Tiger Reserve by the Government of India in 2012.

Geographically, Kawal Tiger Reserve is located in the northeastern part of Telangana on theDeccan Plateau. It is bordered by Maharashtra to the north and the Godavari River to the south. The reserve is situated approximately 50 km from Mancherial town and 300 km from the state capital Hyderabad.

Location of 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. The reserve ranges in elevation from 200 to 900 meters above sea level.

The vegetation is predominantly teak forest along with mixed deciduous and bamboo forests. The landscape is interspersed with grasslands, hills, valleys and water bodies, providing ideal habitat for tigers and other wildlife species.

Kawal Tiger Reserve is accessible by road from Mancherial located 50 km away as well as the state capital Hyderabad located 300 km away. The nearest airport is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

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

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. There are over 68 species of mammals, 310 bird species, 34 reptiles and 10 amphibians recorded here.

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.

Some major mammal species found here include:

• Tiger, Leopard, Jungle cat
• Indian wolf, Jackal, Fox
• Gaur, Four-horned antelope, Chital, Sambar deer, Nilgai
• Chousingha, Barking deer
• Sloth bear
• Porcupine

The avian diversity is also exceptional with raptors, pheasants, peafowl, drongos, rollers and hornbills spotted here.

Forest type in Kawal Tiger Reserve

Kawal Tiger Reserve lies in the forest zone of Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests. The vegetation is characterized by mixed teak forests along with bamboo, Terminalia, Madhuca and Gardenia species.

Some predominant tree species found here include:

• Teak (Tectona grandis)
• Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus)
• Axlewood (Anogeissus latifolia)
• Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
• Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica)
• Golden shower tree (Cassia fistula)

There are over 673 recorded plant species in the reserve, comprising trees, shrubs, climbers, herbs and grasses. The rich floral diversity provides abundant forage and fruits for wildlife. 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 here.

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.

Final Thoughts

In addition to harboring rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, Kawal Tiger Reserve serves as an important catchment area for the Godavari River and its tributaries like the Kadam, Wardha and Penganga. It forms a crucial tiger corridor and potential habitat connecting neighboring protected areas.

Along with spearheading tiger conservation under Project Tiger, Kawal Tiger Reserve plays a vital role in preserving the wildlife heritage and ecological diversity of Telangana state. The forests of Dandakaranya find a stronghold here.

The second tiger reserve in telangana is  Amrabad Tiger Reserve