Rama Krishna Sangem
This Sunday, February 26, BRS Rajya Sabha MP J Santosh Kumar clicked the beautiful birds of Kawal Tiger Reserve, that spreads over old Adilabad district in Telangana. This is the young MP’s weekly dose of photography of wildlife and nature to create awareness among people, especially the youth. He founded and steerting Green India Challenge (GIC) for the last six years.
#AmazingKTR, tweeted Santosh, making us believe whether it is BRS working president and minister KTR, but it is Kawal Tiger Reserve! The four pics of birds posted this Sunday are different. Some sitting on dried branches of trees while one in water and other two on green trees. These and scores of other rare and colorful birds are a sight to behold, according a birdwatcher when went there recently.
This time, he captured four photos of birds at Kawal sanctuary, originally mean to protect tigers, set up in 1965 and brought under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. This 2,015 sq km of thick jungle is declared as tiger reserve in 2012. But not many know that this is also home for hundreds of wild animals and birds and thousands of species of trees. As per the forest officers, there are over 300 kinds of birds, some local, others migratory. Of course, there are 48 tigers!
Bird Walks at KTR
Kawal tiger sanctuary is now open for bird walks. Those who are interested can register before and go there on the days allowed by the forest department. For this, we need to pay Rs 1,500 per head which includes food, accommodation and inside jungle transport. Forest range officer at Indanpally can be contacted on 99457-51980 or DFO, Jannaram on 94408-10103. This sanctuary is 250 km from Hyderabad and 50 km from Mancherial.
KTR is called paradise of birds. We can see rare species like grey- headed fish eagle, crested tree swift, river lapwing, and while rumped munia, among others. The officials say, February- to early April is the best time to take a Bird walk. Some migratory birds come here from faraway Africa and Europe, as this jungle abuts River Godavari and its tributary Pranahita.
Don’t forget to take a good camera, as mobile may not fully capture the beauty of jungle!
