History
Horsley Hills, one of the well known summer-hill resorts in Andhra Pradesh, houses a number of tourist attractions in its vicinity, one of them being the Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is about 87 km away from Horsley Hills, and is spread over an area of 358sq km. Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary starts in the forest near Palamaner town in the Chittoor district, and the area is also known as Mogili Ghat. Two rivers Kaigal and Kaundinya flow through the sanctuary.
Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary is quite popular among nature-lovers, as it is a perfect blend of the rich and diverse flora and fauna of India. Covered by the southern tropical type of forest, the flora of the region majorly consists of Ficusreligiosa, Ficus Bengalensis, Ficustomentosa, regenerated species of Santalum Album (Indian sandalwood), and Bamboo. A wide variety of flowers ranging from Reetha, Shikakai, Amla, Sandalwood, Red Sanders and Mahogany can be easily found here.
Kaundinya is the only sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh with elephants in its expanse. Thirty-nine elephants migrated from the forests of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and moved to the forests of Andhra Pradesh. It was then, that Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary was established by the Indian government. Today, it houses around 50 elephants and other animal species like Tigers, Pumas, Pea Fowls, Sloth Bears, Porcupine, Bison, Land Tortoise, Mouse Deer, Spotted Deer, Jungle Cat and Monitor Lizards, amongst others.
The assorted collection of birds from the Eastern Ghats dangles a carrot to the bird watchers and wildlife photographers. Starting from the Grey Pelicans, Rosy Pelicans, Painted Storks, Love Birds to Budgerigars and Cockatiels are all there to entice you. Thus, a trip to the Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary will prove to be one of the exotic experiences of your life!
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