Telangana Wildlife

The forests of Telangana are mostly dry deciduous, with teak, bamboo and mixed woodland along the Godavari valley in the north and the Nallamala hills in the south. They shelter tigers, leopards, sloth bears, gaur, deer and antelope, and the many reservoirs and tanks attract water birds and mugger crocodiles.

Amrabad Tiger Reserve

Spread over the Nallamala hills in Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts, Amrabad was part of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve until the state was divided, and is now one of the largest tiger reserves in India. Besides tigers, it has leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs and the Chenchu tribal people, who have lived in these forests for centuries.

Kawal Tiger Reserve

The Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary near Jannaram in Mancherial and Nirmal districts was set up in 1965 and became a tiger reserve in 2012. Its dry deciduous teak forest and bamboo along the Godavari form a corridor to the tiger forests of Maharashtra.

Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary

About 90 km from Warangal, Eturnagaram in Mulugu district is one of the oldest sanctuaries in the state. Its forests of teak and its associates such as thiruman and maddi hold tigers, sloth bears, four-horned antelope, chinkara and blackbuck. The Medaram jatara is held inside the sanctuary.

Pakhal and Kinnerasani

Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary surrounds the Kakatiya-built Pakhal Lake in Warangal district. Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the right bank of the Godavari in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, part of the old Dandakaranya forests, around the Kinnerasani reservoir.

Pocharam and Manjira

Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary, around a lake built by the Nizam's government in Medak and Kamareddy districts, has deer, nilgai and many birds. Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary near Sangareddy covers nine small islands between the Manjira and Singur barrages, home to mugger crocodiles and migratory birds; it is about 50 km from Hyderabad.

Pranahita and Shivaram

Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary in Mancherial district is known for blackbuck, and the Shivaram Wildlife Sanctuary on the Godavari protects the mugger crocodile.

In and around Hyderabad

Nehru Zoological Park: one of the largest zoos in India, on the road to Bengaluru, with a lion safari, a natural history museum and a nocturnal house.
KBR National Park: the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park, a patch of scrub forest in the middle of Jubilee Hills with peacocks and many birds.
Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park: the deer park at Vanasthalipuram, about 15 km from the city centre, protecting blackbuck and spotted deer among acacia scrub.
Mrugavani National Park: at Chilkur, about 25 km from Hyderabad, with deer and many bird species.
Alisagar Deer Park: near Nizamabad, laid out by the Nizam's government in 1931 with a lake, hillocks and gardens.

Official information on the state's forests and parks: Telangana Forest Department.