Source: ETVBHARAT

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Context :

• The Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) has seen an increase in its tiger population from 74 in 2023 to 76 in 2024.
• It is reported in the Annual Report on the Status of Tigers, Prey, & Other Mammals for 2024.

About Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR)

Location:

• It is situated in the Nallamala hill ranges of Andhra Pradesh. It is part of the Eastern Ghats.

Size & Importance:

• NSTR is the largest tiger reserve in India. It covers an area of 5937 square kilometers.
• It has largest tiger population in the Eastern Ghats

Naming:

• The reserve is named after 2 significant dams in the area: Nagarjuna Sagar Dam & Srisailam Dam.

Constituent Sanctuaries:

• The reserve includes 2 major wildlife sanctuaries:
  1. Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary
  2. Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary (GBM).

River Krishna:

• The Krishna River flows through the reserve for about 270 kilometers

Topography & Vegetation

• The topography of NSTR includes plateaus, ridges, gorges, & deep valleys.
• The vegetation consists of tropical dry deciduous forests with an undergrowth of bamboo & grass.

Flora & Fauna

Flora:

• Andrographis nallamalayana
• Eriolaena lushingtonii
• Crotalaria madurensis Var
• Dicliptera beddomei
• Premna hamiltonii.

Fauna:

• Tiger
• Leopard
• Wolf
• Wild Dog
• Jackal.
• Prey Species:
  • • Sambar
    • Chital
    • Chowsingha
    • Chinkara
    • Mouse Deer
    • Wild Boar
    • Porcupine.
• River Krishna Fauna:
  • • Muggers (crocodiles)
    • Otters
    • Turtles.

Source: ETVBHARAT