Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve:
The number of big cats in the Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) in the Nallamala forest area has increased from 74 in 2023 to 76 in 2024, as per the Annual Report on Status of Tigers, Prey and Other Mammals-2024.
- It is located in the Nallamala hill ranges (an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats) of Andhra Pradesh.
- This is the largest tiger reserve in the country, spreading over an area of 5937 sq. km.
- It hosts the largest tiger population in the Eastern Ghat landscape.
- It is named after two major dams in the area, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam and Srisailam Dam.
- Two wildlife sanctuaries, namely Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and Gundla Brahmeswaram Wildlife Sanctuary (GBM), constitute the NSTR.
- The river Krishna traverses through this reserve for a linear distance of around 270 kilometers.
