Great Indian Bustard, Rollapadu
Out of the 23 species of Bustards found in the world, great Indian Bustard is considered to be the most endangered one. It belongs to the family OTIDIDAE with scientific name, Ardeotis nigriceps (Vigor). It is locally called Batta Meka in Telugu and Tuqdar in Hindi. It was reported to be found in the drier parts of Kurnool, Anantapur, Mahaboobnagar and Hyderabad Districts of Andhra Pradesh, but rarely any sightings were reported in the past.

However, with the efforts of the Forest department (Wild life wing) of Andhra Pradesh, its presence was established in Kurnool District during August 1982. Three birds were located in the open wastes of Rollapadu village during 1982. With the effective protection scheme, about 40 birds are seen now, in Rollapadu areas. Bustards are now sighted in Nandikotkur, Banaganapally and Anantapur areas. Besides Andhra Pradesh, these rare birds are also available in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.The entire population of the species in the Country may not be more than 1000.

How to Reach
70 kms. from Kurnool, Private transport is available.

Contact
Chief Wildlife Warden (AP), Aranya Bhavan, Hyderabad-4, Phone: 040 - 3230561.