Nellore/ Kadapa: Lack of monsoon rains since the last three years has resulted in serious scarcity of water in Sri Penusila Narasimha Swamy Wildlife Sanctuary located in 1,030.85 square kilometres in Nellore and Kadapa districts.
There were several incidents when wild animals, including deers and a leopard killed after being hit by vehicles as they ventured out of the sanctuary in search of water.
The sanctuary is named after the presiding deity Lord Penusila Narasimha Swamy at Penchalakona, which is also part of the sanctuary in Nellore.
Most of the sanctuary is in the hilly terrain with plateaus, ridges and the deep valley support dry deciduous forest extending to four divisions.
The sanctuary acts as a multiple catchment of Cheyyuru, Penna, Gunganeru and Kandaleru streams. The sanctuary is a paradise of rich and variegated biodiversity of flora and fauna living their but absence of rains since the three years has been changing the situation. In fact, there are large water bodies such as Somasila and Kandaleru reservoir but thick forest areas housing the animals lack perennial water sources.
Though there is a waterfall at Penchalakona and another one in the forest, they have turned dry due to of lack of rains, the officials said.
The sanctuary is home for panthers, jungle cats, fishing cats, leopard cats, jackals, wolves, bears, wild boars, deers, slender lorris, black bucks, antelopes, hares, bird species, reptiles and snakes.
In a bid to develop tourism potential, the Forest Department has established community-based eco tourism centre near Penchalakona in 2004 with guesthouses, an environment education centre, rose garden, butterfly park and a garden with medicinal plants in two acres.
This is in addition to a mini pond for boating for children and a pagoda as resting area for visitors. The Forest Department has also developed a deer park in the sanctuary since 1990, close to Kandaleru reservoir.
The deer park has grown up to 61 deer that include 32 maled and 29 female deer.
Besides deer, the park also is home for monkeys, mangoose, squirrel, scaly anteater, cobras, krait, snakes, lizards and bird species.
