Kawal Tiger Reserve

May 14, 2023

The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) recently granted clearance to divert 21 hectares of forest land in the crucial tiger corridor connecting the Kawal Tiger Reserve in the Kagaznagar Division of Telangana.

About Kawal Tiger Reserve:

  • Location:
    • It is located in North Eastern part of Telangana (Old Adilabad district), with the Godavari River on one side and the Maharashtra border on the other.
    • It forms part of the Deccan peninsula-central highlands.
  • Rivers: The reserve is the catchment for the rivers Godavari and Kadam, which flow towards the south of the sanctuary.
  • Corridor: It has connectivity to the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra in the North and to the Indravati tiger reserve of Chhattisgarh towards its North-Eastern side.
  • It has diverse habitats comprising of dense forests, grasslands, open areas, rivers, streams and water bodies.
  • Vegetation: Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest.
  • Flora:
    • Teak is found extensively along with Bamboo.
    • As many as 673 plant species have been recorded, and the important ones are Anogeissus latifolia, Mitragyna parviflora, Terminalia crenulata, Terminalia arjuna, Boswellia serrata etc.
  • Fauna:
    • It has a faunal diversity which is typical of the Deccan Plateau.
    • The major wild animals include: nilgai, chousinga, chinkara, black buck, sambar, spotted deer, wild dog, wolf, jackal, fox, tiger, leopard, and the jungle cat.