Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary

Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary covers roughly 839 sq km of mostly deciduous forest, with a few evergreen species, about 50 km from Warangal. At its heart lies Pakhal Lake, an irrigation reservoir dug in 1213 AD at the command of the Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva, so the water body is some 800 years old and many of the trees around it older still.

The forest shelters leopards, sloth bears, herds of deer, nilgai, hyenas, wolves, wild dogs, jackals and porcupines, and tigers are also listed among its animals. Pythons, cobras, kraits, monitor lizards and crocodiles are the reptiles most often noted. Migratory birds arrive in good numbers, and November to March is the best season for birdwatching. Trails and picnic spots make it popular with families as well as wildlife watchers.