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Mystifying landscape of lofty hills and cavernous valleys, perennial rivers, exciting winding roads that have thick forested topography on one side and deep and vast valleys on the other, different hues to mark the seasons, inhabiting this mesmerizing forested landscape is the most charismatic cat of the world –Tiger. This is Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve for you -- a true wild paradise.
Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve, the largest Tiger Reserve of India. It spreads over an area of 3728 Sq.Km. It consists of a core area of 1251 Sq.Km, a buffer area of 1283 Sq.Km as follows.
| S.No. |
Zone |
Area in Km2 |
| 1 |
Inviolate/Critical Tiger Habitat Zone-1(Notified) |
1250.46 |
| 2 |
Gundla Brahmeswaram as extended core to NSTR |
1193.68 |
| A |
Total inviolate area |
2444.14 |
| 3 |
Peripheral Zone(within the sanctuary) |
552.87 |
| 4 |
Buffer Zone NSTR (Outside the Sanctuary within the R.F) |
730.49 |
| 5 |
Total Buffer Area |
1283.36 |
| B |
Grand Total |
3727.82 |
Situated in the Nallamalais - an offshoot of Southern Eastern Ghats of A.P., NSTR is decorated with mosaic of Geo-Morphological, floristic and variety of faunal species. Most of this reserve is hilly terrain with plateaus, ridges, gorges and deep Valleys which support tropical mixed dry deciduous forests with an under growth of bamboo and grass. The census taken in 1979 revealed the existence of 40 tigers in this area. Fascinated by the population of Tiger and its suitable habitat, he Govt. of India has brought this sanctuary under the folds of Project Tiger.
India’s largest Project Tiger Reserve lies in two biotic provinces of bio geographic Zone-VI of the Deccan peninsula 6 D & 6 E.
River Krishna forms northern most boundary of the Tiger Reserve.
The nomadic, shy, food gathering and hunting primitive tribe "Chenchus" of these hill ranges live in groups called gudems amidst forests of this sanctuary.
The project tiger and the adjoining forest areas have been constituted as project tiger circle, which is headed by Conservator of Forest of Project Tiger Circle. The Conservator of Forests, Project Tiger Circle is also the Field Director of NSTR.
The circle consists of 2 wildlife / territorial divisions i.e., Atmakur WLM Division and Markapur WLM Division. In addition there are two functional divisions i.e., Flying Squad Division, Atmakur and Bio-diversity Research Division at Srisailam.
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