India’s biggest tiger reserve isn’t Corbett or Ranthambore. It spans five districts across two states, and its protected core alone dwarfs many entire reserves elsewhere.
🏛️ Must Know
What Makes This Reserve India’s Largest
- Total Area Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve covers 3,728 sq km, making it the largest tiger reserve in India by total area.
- Largest Critical Tiger Habitat Its Critical Tiger Habitat is the core zone kept inviolate for tigers. It spans roughly 2,595 sq km, also the largest of any Indian reserve.
- Spanning Two States The reserve spreads across five districts: Kurnool, Prakasam, Guntur, Nalgonda, and Mahbubnagar. Together they sit in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- What Critical Tiger Habitat Means Critical Tiger Habitats are identified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. These areas must stay undisturbed for tiger conservation.
Good to Know
📘 Good to Know
The Reserve’s Geography and Landscape
- Around the Krishna River The reserve surrounds the Krishna River and the Nagarjunsagar reservoir. This gives it a dramatic mix of gorge, dense forest, and grassland.
- Protecting Rights, Not Just Tigers Critical Tiger Habitat status legally must respect the rights of Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers. It cannot override them.
- A Deccan Plateau Forest Its dry deciduous forest is typical of the Deccan Plateau. This is distinct from the moist forests of reserves like Kanha or Nagarhole.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2020 — The Tiger Reserve With the Largest Critical Tiger Habitat
- UPSC 2020 Among major Indian tiger reserves, Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam has the largest area under Critical Tiger Habitat, not Corbett, Ranthambore, or Sunderbans. See UPSC CSP 2020 GS Paper I, Q100. View this question.
Test Yourself
Great to Know
🌟 Great to Know
Why Size Alone Doesn’t Guarantee Tiger Numbers
- Size vs Tiger Density Being the largest reserve by area doesn’t automatically mean the highest tiger population. Prey density and habitat quality matter just as much.
- A Common Exam Trap Questions about “largest” or “smallest” reserves often test area specifically, not population. Read the question’s exact wording carefully.
- A Cross-State Governance Challenge Managing a reserve across two states requires coordination between two different state forest departments. This adds administrative complexity beyond conservation itself.
Beyond the answer
Browse all environment-and-ecology topics →
📚 Keep reading
EnvEco0038 — Project Tiger and NTCAUPSC CSP 2020 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)IndGeo0102 — Jim Corbett National ParkIndEco0175 — Critical and Strategic Minerals in IndiaEnvEco0014 — Wildlife in India❓ Practice this topic
D0306 — Consider the following statements: 1. NCAP is a statutory programme backed by a dedicated law. 2. City action plans under NCAP are tracked on the PRANA portal. 3. The Graded Response Action Plan stages emergency measures for Delhi-NCR by AQI level. How many of the statements are correct?D0305 — Which statement best describes a 'non-attainment city' under NCAP?D0304 — What was the original target set by NCAP for reducing PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024?D0303 — Which ministry anchors the National Clean Air Programme?🎲 Take a Environment And Ecology Quiz
Leave a Reply