| Easily accessible from both Kakinada and Rajahmundy, the Coringa Wild Life Sanctuary spreads across an area of 235 square kilometres. It is a popular tourist destination and most visitors come here eager to catch a glimpse of the fierce looking salt-water crocodiles that patrol its waters. The sanctuary is a part of the lush Godavari Mangroves and is situated on the backwaters of the sea. The Wild Life Sanctuary is truly a Nature Lovers delight and features thirty five species of Mangrove plants apart from a rich variety of the trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses that are found in the tropical and sub tropical estuary regions. The mangroves provide shelter to a wide variety of birds and animals. As you tour around the sanctuary look out for fishing cats, estuarine crocodiles and sea turtles which are aplenty here. It is home to the Otter, one of the protected species at the sanctuary. Coringa is an ornithologists delight and the bird lover can spot beautiful birds like the crested serpent eagle, scarlet minivet, indian roller, black capped kingfisher, oriental dwarf kingfisher, white bellied woodpecker as well as snipes, ducks, sea gulls and flamingos. Animals seek refuge in different kinds of niches in the mangroves. The crowns of trees, which include the trunk, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits, provide home to terrestrial fauna like birds, mammals and insects. The soil surface is home to mudskippers, crabs and mollusks. The waters support a variety of forest animals like the smooth Indian otters, mudskipper, crabs, jackal, monkeys and fishing cat. The 18 km long sand pit in the Sanctuary is the longest stretch on the North Eastern side and is nesting ground of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle. |
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