About Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR):
- It is located in the Nallamala hill ranges (an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats) of Andhra Pradesh.
- It is one of the largest tiger reserves in India, spreading over an area of 3,728 sq km.
- It hosts the largest tiger population in the Eastern Ghat landscape.
- It is named after two major dams in the area, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and Srisailam Dam.
- Two wildlife sanctuaries, namely Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary (GBM), constitute the NSTR.
- The river Krishna traverses through this reserve for a linear distance of around 270 kilometers.
- The reserve holds significant importance with ancient temples like the Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple at Srisailam and several archaeological sites, including Buddhist relics from the Nagarjuna Konda area.
- Topography: It consists of plateaus, ridges, gorges, and deep valleys.
- Vegetation: Tropical dry deciduous forests having an undergrowth of bamboo and grass.
- Flora: The habitat has several endemics like Andrographis nallamalayana, Eriolaena lushingtonii, Crotalaria madurensis Var, Dicliptera beddomei, and Premna hamiltonii.
- Fauna:
- Top faunal species include Tiger, Leopard, Wolf, Wild Dog and Jackal.
- The prey species are represented by Sambar, Chital, Chowsingha, Chinkara, Mouse Deer, Wild boar, and Porcupine.
- The river Krishna has Muggers, Otters and Turtles.
