Papikonda national park

Location :Western Ghats, which is shared between two states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Coverage area : 591-sq-km
Main attraction : Four Horned Antelope, Sambar
Best time to visit :October to May
Nearby excursions :
Nearby cities :

Visit papikonda national park, andhra pradesh, to experience the true essence of nature

Papikonda National Parkis one of India?s most cherished national parks. The location of the forest is tropical as it is based in the Western Ghats, which is shared between two states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The forest also spreads across three districts

of Telangana, which areEast Godavari, West Godavari, and Khammam District. In 1978, while animal killing due to rising town settlements was at high risk, the Andhra Pradesh State Government declared the area as reserved and protected for wild animals and other habitats.

In the year 2008, the wildlife reserve was declared by the government as a national park.

Climatic conditions

Papikonda National Park is in the hottest region of Andhra Pradesh and the temperature during the mid-summer rises up to 47?C. The duration of extreme summer is between April to May and this is the time when wild animals come closer to the river Godavari and are spotted very frequently.

Best time to visitPapikonda national park

The best time to visit the park is from October to May when the tourists are in full enthusiasm. The pleasing weather during this time makes it an ideal time to visit the animals in the various regions of the forest. The ideal weather makes it easier to stay longer for the safaris during the daytime, which leads to some great experiences.

Animals that inhabit the sanctuary

Papikonda National Park is the house of endangered water buffalos but in the recent past, there have been no traces of the animal in the region. There are some other rare species found in the zones of the park. Papikonda is considered as one of the important tiger reserves in India, which provides shelter to species like the Royal Bengal Tiger. Some other flora and fauna found in the park are as follows -

Flora

Papikonda National Park decorates itself with a variety of Dry Deciduous Teak Forest and with varieties of flowering plants, such as Pterocarpus, Bamboo, Terminalia, Cassias, and other species conforming to the Eastern Ghat vegetation. Other tree species and plants found in the park are Terminalias, Tectona Grandis, Tomentosa, Albizzia Amara, Latifolia, Albizia Lebbeck, Lagerstroemia Lanceolata, Dendrocalamus Strictus, and Bambusa Arundinacea.

Fauna

Papikonda Wildlife Park is full of wildlife. The fauna you will find in this park comprises primarily of tigers, panthers, gaurs, and other animals like Four-Horned Antelope, Spotted deer, Black Buck, Sambar deer, Chital, Barking deer, Mouse deer, jackals, hyenas, Sloth bear, Wild bog, Wild Boar, and Marsh crocodile.

Birds

Some of the vulnerable, nearly threatened, and endangered species of birds reported are Pale-Capped Pigeon, Black-Bellied Tern, Oriental Darter, Yellow-Throated Bulbul, Pallid Harrier, River Lapwing, Great Thick-Knee, Malabar Pied Hornbill, River Tern, and Alexandrine Parakeet.
There are some of the moist forest species of tropical birds, which have been sighted. These are the Jerdon's Nightjar, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Black-Throated Munia, Malabar Whistling-Thrush, and Malabar Trogon. There is a subspecies of Abbot's Babbler, which are spotted around the border of the national park.

Reptiles

Indian Golden Gecko was reported to have been spotted at this national park, which is endemic to the Eastern Ghat region. King Cobras are also spotted in and around the reserved region of the park.

Distance of Papikonda national park from major cities:

Hyderabad ,367 km
Chennai ,603 km
Kolkata ,1136 km
Bengaluru ,808 km
Mysuru ,952 km
Pune ,938 km
Mumbai ,1086 km
Jammu ,2381 km
New Delhi ,1767 km
Ahmadabad ,1595 km
Chandigarh ,2075 km

How to reach the National park ?

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Airways

The nearest airport is Visakhapatnam Airport, which is at a distance of 100 kilometers from the forest. The airport is well-connected via roadways to all the major cities and from the premise, taxis are available to the sanctuary directly.

Railways

The nearest railway station to the sanctuary is in Rajahmundry, about 50 km away from the park. You can also avail of rail services from other major railway stations like Seshayya Metta and Kovvur. From Rajahmundry, one can reach the park via road transport.

Roadways

You can avail of bus or taxi services to the park through the Dondapudi-Koyallagudem road. You can find SUVs easily for forest excursions and each of the cars has its own tour guide for the ultimate help. Both public and private vehicles are available that will take you to the park.

Waterway connectivity :

From Rajahmundry, boats are available to reach the park through waterways.

Accommodation facilities

There are a couple of accommodation options, which you will find at Papikonda National Park. There are several visitor hotels as well. In the locations of Rajahmundry, Kannapuram, And Maredumilli, there are forest rest houses available, which can give you a cozy stay. The guests are encouraged to connect with locals or officers to know about the different services.

Interesting facts

There is fascinating mythological importance of this national park. This forest area was known as the apes? kingdom in Ramayana. As per the legends, the area where the park is located was the ancient kingdom of the apes,named Kishkinda. It is known that the ape inhabitants of this region had helped Lord Rama to fight Ravana and bring back Sita from Lanka. This significant fact attached to the park makes it a worth-visiting site.

The forest has a Museum and an environmental education center. The river trip to the river Godavari and the enchanting safari to the forest make this trip a memorable one, where you can fulfill your dream of watching wildlife in real.

Things to do

A visit to Papikonda with families and friends makes a perfect holiday trip. The little waterway will unravel as you voyage further upstream and you will come across a valley loaded with life and animals unperturbed by human residences. The air on the boat is electric with all age bunches having a fabulous time. The photographers can have their full with plenty of pictures to click.

The adventure will begin right on time at 7 am as you need to reach out to get the boat. Before long, you would finish up overlooking the street once the vessel leaves the waterway.

You will be invited by an MC/DJ/guide, who will keep you busy with his jokes. The entire time is properly organized ? dance, music, recreations, and entertainment programs, all arranged on the boat are worthy of appreciation.

There are a few stops, where you can get down to see thespots, which are mostly temples. One such spot is the place, where you can purchase items, which are mainly made of bamboo.

The entire staff on the cruise is friendly and supportive. It has a little canteen, where you can purchase munchies. They would serve you breakfast and lunch alongside night snacks.

The exciting safari to the sanctuary and the waterway stumble on the stream of Godavari and makes it an essential excursion to the untamed region.

Get pleasure from a perfect getaway

For nature lovers, it is a perfect spot for photography. By the end of the day, you will have enjoyed yourself thoroughly and collected enough pictures, which will keep the memory of this trip fresh in your mind.