Shivaram Wildlife Sanctuary was recognized as a sanctuary and was set up in 1987, exclusively for the protection of marsh crocodiles.
The wildlife sanctuary is located along the holy River Godavari which is the lifeline to the Sivaram Wildlife Sanctuary in the Mancherial and Peddapalli districts of Telangana. The total area of this large wildlife Sanctuary is approximately 36.29 sq km.
Shivaram Wildlife Sanctuary has located nearly 10 km from Manthani and 50 km from Mancherial town in Telangana. The sanctuary is connected and well-accessible by road. Mancherial is the nearest railway station.
The vegetation of the sanctuary is deciduous type. The deciduous vegetation of this sanctuary consists of Timan, Terminalia, Teak, Gumpena, and Kodansha. We can also find Thorny Shrubs in the sanctuary. The wildlife sanctuary is home to a wide collection of fauna. So, it attracts a lot of tourists as the sanctuary has species like Sloth bear, Nilgai, Panther, Langaur, Rhesus Monkey, Cheetal, etc.
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The sanctuary is situated on the banks of River Godavari and it is their natural habitat. This wildlife sanctuary is a haven for nature lovers and nature photographers as they get to witness various species of animals. The ecosystem in this Sanctuary is able to sustain various communities. This is why visitors from around the world come to visit the place.
The marsh crocodiles are freshwater crocodiles. They are also known as Mugger Crocodiles. These mugger crocodiles are more in number than saltwater crocodiles and can crawl for considerable distances on land. Marsh crocodiles are equally mobile on land as well as in water, and this quality stands as the hot tourist attraction at Sivaram Wildlife Sanctuary in Telangana.
Apart from crocodiles, this wildlife sanctuary is home to rich collection of flora and fauna. Vegetation like Teak, Bamboo, Timan, Gumpena, thorny shrubs, etc is found here. Different species of animals like the sloth bear, tiger, panther, cheetah, sambar, nilgai, black bucks, monkeys like the langur and the rhesus monkey, and reptiles such as pythons make this their habitat. Sivaram sanctuary was initially set up as a crocodile sanctuary to protect the endangered Marsh crocodiles of river Godavari.
Flora
The wildlife sanctuary has five types of trees southern tropical teak forests, southern dry mixed deciduous forests, satin forests, bamboo brakes, and baswellia forests. The flora includes other varieties like teak, terminals, tirman, kodsha, gumpena, abnus, and thorny scrub.
Fauna
Among the fauna that can be found here are panther, sloth bear, nilgai, cheetah, blackbuck, chousingha, langur, rhesus monkey, wild boar, sambar, and python.
Accessibility
The sanctuary can be reached through road transport from Hyderabad to Manthani. The distance between the two is nearly 240 km. It can also be reached via Ramagundam and Mancherial.
Climate
Climate is generally hot and dry in the sanctuary. But, during the South-West monsoons in the months of June-September, it is pleasant. The best time to visit the Sanctuary is in winter which is from December to April.
Accommodations are available in the Forest Rest House at Mancherial or Eklaspur. One has to reserve the rooms to have a stay at the forest house. Food is also provided at the residence for the inmates. For other visitors who do not want any accommodation, it is advised that they carry their food with them. Because there are no restaurants near the Sanctuary.
One should be careful enough not to throw garbage or litter on the premises of the sanctuary. People should not do any act that can provoke the crocodiles at any cost as they are carnivorous. The climate of the Shivaram wildlife sanctuary is very eco-friendly and the richness of lush vegetation can be seen during the season. Care has to be taken on the visit to the Sanctuary and the visitors are advised to travel on jeeps provided by the sanctuary officials or they may take their vehicles with permission.
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