The forest department is preparing to launch the next round of tiger census in the Nagarjuna Sagar Tiger Reserve (NSTR).

About Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve

• The Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) is India's largest tiger reserve, located in the Nallamala hill ranges, an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats, mainly in Andhra Pradesh.
• It was officially designated a tiger reserve in 1983 and covers an extensive area of about 3,728 square kilometers, including core and buffer zones.
• The reserve spreads across districts including Prakasam, Nandyal, and Palnadu in Andhra Pradesh and also parts of Telangana.
• NSTR is formed by two wildlife sanctuaries: the Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and the Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary.
• The reserve features diverse terrain such as plateaus, ridges, gorges, and deep valleys with tropical dry deciduous forests that support rich biodiversity.
• The Krishna River runs through the reserve for about 270 kilometers, creating a vital water source for its flora and fauna.
• This tiger reserve is home to a significant population of Bengal tigers, along with leopards, sloth bears, Indian pangolins, wolves, and prey species like chinkara, blackbuck, spotted deer, and wild boar.
• It also hosts over 150 bird species and various reptiles.
• The area holds cultural and historical significance, housing ancient temples such as the Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple at Srisailam and archaeological sites including Buddhist relics and rock shelters.
• Historical remnants like forts belonging to ancient dynasties such as the Kakatiyas also dot the landscape.
• The Nallamala Hills within the reserve are known for waterfalls like the Ethipothala Falls and Gundam, making NSTR both an ecological hotspot and a place of cultural heritage.
• The reserve plays a critical role in India's tiger conservation under Project Tiger and continues to contribute to wildlife protection and biodiversity preservation in southern India.

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