Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary:
Experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, have collared three endangered fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) for the first time in India to study various factors such as home range, behaviour, breeding and prey patterns of the species, in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS).
- Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the Godavari estuary, where the Coringa river confluences into the Bay of Bengal in the Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh.
- About 40% of the sanctuary is only sea-backwaters and the rest of the area is intermingled with creeks and gets inundated with tidal waters.
- It is home to endangered mammals like Smooth Indian otter, Fishing cat, Jackal, etc. And also home to birds like Black capped kingfisher, Brahminy kite, Sea gulls, Reef heron, Sand piper, etc.
- The sea coast of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is a breeding ground for Olive ridley turtles.
- Fishing Cat is a medium-sized wild cat. It is a solitary and nocturnal hunters that rest during the day amongst dense vegetation and then at night head to the water to find food. They are very strong swimmers.
Conservation status
- IUCN: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix II
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972:Schedule I.
