Key Highlights
- Designation of the Kawal–Tadoba corridor as the Kumram Bheem Conservation Reserve covers 1,493 km².
- Strategic aim is to secure continuous tiger movement across Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
- The reserve hosts more than 45 confirmed tigers and a diverse array of carnivores and herbivores.
- Legal coverage under Section 36(A) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, permits active protection of government land linking two major protected areas.
- A multi‑stakeholder management committee has been instituted to oversee the reserve’s governance.
Detailed Insights
Spatial Extent and Administrative Coverage. The reserve stretches through the Asifabad and Kagaznagar divisions of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, incorporating ten mandals and 78 reserve‑forest blocks such as Garlapet, Ada, Manikgarh East & West and Bejjur. The 1,492.88 km² area represents the largest contiguous corridor preserved under the Wildlife Protection Act at present.
Biological Wealth. It serves as a home for resident and transient tiger populations, with over 45 animals recorded in the last decade. Other carnivorous mammals—including leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears, wolves, hyenas, honey badgers and jungle cats—share this habitat. The prey base is rich: gaur, chital, sambar, nilgai, four‑horned antelope, and more. Avian records highlight the Malabar Pied Hornbill and the Long‑Billed Vulture, the sole nesting site in the region.
Conservation Objectives. The primary goal is to enable safe passage for large predators, reduce human–wildlife conflict, and preserve genetic diversity across the tri‑state region. Enhancing habitat connectivity is also expected to support long‑term breeding and resilience of the ecosystem.
Legal and Governance Framework. Declared under Section 36(A) of the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act, this status allows the formation of conservation reserves on government-owned land that connects two protected areas. A conservation reserve management committee comprising the District Forest Officer, local sarpanches, NGOs (Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society, WWF, Wildlife Conservation Trust) and district‐level agricultural, veterinary and forest officials has been set up.
Key Concepts
- Conservation Reserve: A protected area of government ownership that links or supports existing protected regions to enhance connectivity.
- Tiger Corridor: A continuous stretch of suitable habitat that enables tiger movement among isolated populations.
- Section 36(A) of the Wildlife Protection Act: Legislative provision permitting the creation of conservation reserves on state land.
- Multi‑stakeholder Management: Governance that includes government, local communities, NGOs and other partners to collectively administer a protected area.
- Biological Connectivity: The degree to which species can disperse across landscapes, influencing genetic exchange and population viability.