| Kawal Tiger Reserve | |
|---|---|
| Jannaram forest | |
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
  Location in Telangana Show map of Telangana Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary (India) Show map of India | |
| Location | Mancherial district,Telangana |
| Coordinates | 19°07′08″N78°59′56″E / 19.1188949°N 78.9989734°E /19.1188949; 78.9989734 |
| Area | 2,015.44 km2 (778.17 sq mi) |
| Established | 2012 |
Kawal Tiger Reserve is anature preserve located atJannaram mandal ofMancherial District (OldAdilabad district) in theTelangana state ofIndia.[1][2] TheGovernment of India declared Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary to be atigerreserve in 2012.[3] The reserve is the oldest sanctuary in the northern Telangana region of the state. It is well known for its abundantflora andfauna. This sanctuary is catchment for the riversGodavari andKadam, which flow towards the south of the sanctuary.[4]
The KWS was established in 1965 and later declared as a Protected Area (PA) in 1999 under the WPA, 1972.
It was listed as atigerreserve in April 2012.[5] Due to this status, it was developed as a tiger habitat with the release of 150cheetals as a prey population. To reducepoaching, new checkposts have been created. Traditional sources of water were improved.
Mancherial district is situated between 18.8756° N, 79.4591° E. It is surrounded byAdilabad andKomuram Bheem on the north,Karimnagar andNizamabad on the south andNanded 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 theSahyadri hillranges to theTadoba forest inMaharashtra (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 fromHyderabad 270 kilometres (170 mi) by road. The nearestairport is in Hyderabad.
The sanctuary is one of the richestteak forests in the state, with dense pristine areas free of human disturbance. The River Godavari flows through this area. Drydeciduous teak forests mixed withbamboo,terminalia,pterocarpus,anogeissus andcassias.
Mammal species that have been sighted include tiger,leopard,gaur, cheetal,sambar,nilgai,barking deer,chowsingha, andsloth bear. Several species of birds andreptiles 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]
It is increasingly getting threatened by growing human encroachment, rampant poaching, illegal wood felling and habitat loss.
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
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