Papikonda National Park: Geography, Wildlife, and Ecological Importance

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Key takeaways

Forest officials in Andhra Pradesh rescued a 750-kg female Indian Gaur from an illegal snare in Papikonda National Park.
First declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1978, the region was elevated to a National Park in 2008 to protect moist deciduous forests.
Spanning 1,068 square kilometres along the Godavari River, the park serves as a critical biodiversity corridor in the Eastern Ghats.
The park is home to indigenous communities like the Konda Reddis and Koyas and hosts endangered species like the Malabar pied hornbill.

Forest officials recently rescued a 750-kg female Indian Gaur in Andhra Pradesh. The animal was trapped in an illegal snare inside the Eco-Sensitive Zone of Papikonda National Park.

This sanctuary covers a large wilderness area of about 1,068 square kilometres in the northern Eastern Ghats. It features rugged hills, river gorges, and rich plant and animal life.

The park sits along the banks of the Godavari River in the Alluri Sitharama Raju and Eluru districts of Andhra Pradesh, extending slightly into Telangana.

The government first declared this area a wildlife sanctuary in 1978. Later in 2008, officials upgraded it to a National Park to protect local biomes and wild habitats.
British naturalists historically called the Papikonda range the Bison Hills. They gave it this name because of the dense population of Indian Gaur living in the region.

The Godavari River flows through the Papikonda hills, creating deep river gorges, sandy banks, islands, and rich water habitats.
The area features tropical moist and dry deciduous forests with dense bamboo patches and valuable timber trees like teak and rosewood.
Recognized as an Important Bird Area, the park shelters major species like tigers, leopards, sloth bears, and the rare Malabar pied hornbill.
Indigenous communities such as the Konda Reddis and Koyas live here, using traditional knowledge to live in balance with the forest.

The park serves as a key watershed catchment for the Godavari River basin, helping control water flow and preventing soil erosion.
It provides a vital wildlife corridor in the Eastern Ghats, where authorities work to control illegal poaching while managing infrastructure development.