Join our online Google+ community for Bloggers, Content Writers and Webmasters

Nagarjunasagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve

Posted Date: 10 Feb 2011 Author: Latha Jayaprakash Member Level: Gold (Rs. 40)

Nagarjunasagar wild sanctuary is located near the famous temple Srisailam in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The sanctuary was declared one in 1973 and was declared a tiger Reserve only a decade later.

Location of the Nagarjunasagar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve

Nagarjunasagar Wildlife sanctuary is located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. the terrain of the Nallamalai hills is very rugged and you can see winding gorges slicing through the hills. There is a dam, Nagarjunasagar Dam, adjoining the hills and the Tiger Reserve on the river Krishna.

Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve ( NSTR ) is located near the Srisailam, near the dam site of the river Krishna. The Dam site is on the river Krishna - the Srisailam Hydel Projects - is the third Zone of the srisailam and the Tiger Reserve is nestled in the Nallamalai Hill ranges which is an off shoot of the Eastern ghats. Thye Hills has cliffs, gorges, ridges and plateaus beautifully endowed with a variety of flora and fauna. Since this forests have not been declared the Reserve forest status, this area was always prone to people / pilgrims making their way through these forests to Srisailam.

Fauna Nagarjunasagar wild life Sanctuary

The area got declared as a sanctuary in 1973 and was also declared as a tiger reserve a decade later. You can see various fauna in the sanctuary like langur, bonnet macaque, Indian spotted chevrotain, tiger, wild dog, Bengal fox, wolf, jackal, leopard, sloth bear, giant flying squirrel, Indian porcupine, smooth-coated otter, palm civet, jungle cat, striped hyena, wild boar, sambar, spotted deer, nilgai, four-horned antelope, Indian muntjac, blackbuck, chinkara, Indian pangolin and Indian tree shrew.

The Sanctuary has got an area of about 6 sq kilometers of Grasslands with its dry thorny bushes is a home to morethan a hundred black bucks. From a distance you can see the black bucks with their families and some bustards grazing at the horizon as the day visits to the Rollapadu grasslands are being permitted now. You can see a variety of about 150 species of Avifauna here at the sanctuary like grey hornbill and peafowl.

Accommodation facilities in the Nagarjunasagar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Tiger Reserve

Three guest houses as well as temple cottages with about 248 beds are available in the forest area. Any one who is interested and wants to stay can contact the temple authorities and get it done.
STD and ISD facilities are available at Srisailam and also at some of the places nearby. Postal facilities are available only at Srisailam.

Places to visit near Naarjunasagar Wildlife sanctuary

There is a pre existing tribal hamlet with a furnished camp bungalow in Mannanur. Near to the bungalow there is a crocodile pond and an environment education center. From the mannanur area you can explore the western parts of the tiger reserve. The forests are thickly set with various timber species like Nallamadi, Chirumanu etc. You can also see stretches of teak forests here. While you are there, you can spot spotted deers, sambars and nilgais if you are lucky enough.

How to Reach Nagarjunasagar Wildlife Sanctury

If you are travelling by air the nearest airport is Hyderabad, which is 316 kilometers away from Srisailam. Hyderabad is connected to many important cities in India including Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai, the major cities of India.
If you are travelling by rail, Srisailam is connected through Hyderabad as well as Markapur which is 85 kilometers away on the South Central Railway.
If you are travelling by road, Srisailam is about 190 kileters om from Kurnool, 220 kilometers from Guntur, 470 kilometers from Chennai, and 85 kilometers from Mannanur.
Srisailam Mallikarjunaswamy Temple is a well known and ancient temple which seems to have been there for a long time.