Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Adilabad (Andhra Pradesh)

Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, Adilabad Overview

Situated in old Adilabad, Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for its enormous variety of flora and fauna. The smell of the wilderness, untouched and uninhabited regions where animals thrive in harmony is precisely what Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary is all about. Kawal wildlife sanctuary tiger reserve also has a rich and varied population of Cheetahs.

Established in 1965, Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a protected area in the region. Before being recognized as a reserve, the sanctuary was the hunting grounds of the Nizams who ruled the region. In order to protect the population of Tigers, the sanctuary was later recognized as a Tiger Reserve. Kawal Wildlife Reserve also serves as a catchment area for River Kadam, which is a tributary of River Godavari.

Tiger Research Project

The region where the Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary lies was a very popular site for hunting. Until the year 1965, it was a marked game reserve that encouraged hunting in a controlled manner. It was only later under the Wildlife (Protection) Act that the region was declared as a sanctuary. This event occurred in 1972. The final notification came in August 1999. After this, the area was divided into six ranges: Kadam, Pembi, Jannaram, Indanpally, Tadlapet, and Birsaipet. In 2012, the sanctuary was declared as a tiger reserve.

Geography

The location of the sanctuary makes it a corridor that serves in connecting the southern forests of Andra Pradesh and the forests of Maharashtra which in turn are connected to the forests in the Vidharba region. The primary source of water for this region is the Kadam reservoir. The reservoir fills during floods and supplies water to the Godavari throughout the year. After the river Godavari passes through the forest, the river renews its water from the various streams that flow through the forest and swells up.

Wildlife

Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary houses a wide variety of plant and animal species that include mammals, birds and reptiles. The forests consist of dense vegetation/ plantation of Teak, Bamboo, Cassias, Terminalia and Anogeisus trees. A large population of Tigers, Gaur, Sambar, Leopards, Wolf, the Barking Deer, Cheetah, Chowsingha, Sloth Bear, Nilgai, Hyena etc. live in the dense forest. Crocodiles, Pythons, Cobras, Monitor Lizards and Tortoise are often found near the water body inside the sanctuary.

Best Time To Visit Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary

The animals tend to come out to open areas during colder months. That is why the best time to visit Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary is between the months November to May. It makes the animals a lot easier to spot. The temperature ranges between 17 to 25 degrees Celsius in November and 22 to 27 degrees Celsius in May. There is a little to no rain during these months in this region.

Tips For Visiting Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary

Safaris are cancelled if it has rained the day before as the roads get muddy and unsafe.
It is suggested to check the weather forecast before making a safari booking.
You are advised to wear neutral coloured clothes while visiting the sanctuary.
Please keep the surroundings clean and tidy.

How To Reach Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary

Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary is about 300 kilometres towards North of Hyderabad. The most preferred way of reaching the wildlife sanctuary is by road and three routes lead to it from the city. One goes via SH 1 – SH 7 (255 kilometres from Hyderabad), the second goes via AH 43 (291 kilometres approximately) and the third route goes through NH 163 – SH 7 (about 310 kilometres from Hyderabad).