The collaring of ten fishing cat to estimate the number and survival of fishing cats in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) in Andhra Pradesh will be introduced by the Wildlife Institute of India.
Fishing Cat – This is a nocturnal animal. They inhabit wetlands and are found mainly in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, around the Chilka Lake, the Himalayan foothills along the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins and in the Western Ghats.
It is known to even dive to catch fish. It is nocturnal and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals.
IUCN Status: Endangered.
- Threats faced by fishing cats include habitat loss due to development activities in wetlands, intensive aquaculture, hunting for meat and skin, etc.
- In the year 2012, the Fishing Cat was officially declared the State Animal by the Government of West Bengal.
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) – Andhra Pradesh
- It is the second largest mangrove forest area in India. It is situated in the deltaic extension of Gautami and Godavari in Kakinada Bay.
- It is one of the breeding sites of Olive Ridley turtles.
- About 177 sq. km area around this sanctuary has been declared as eco-sensitive zone.
Source – The Hindu
