About
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is a mangrove sanctuary in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, about 15 km from Kakinada on the Kakinada-Yanam road (East Godavari district website). It is named after the small village of Coringa and forms part of the Godavari mangroves, where the river Godavari meets the Bay of Bengal. The Government of Andhra Pradesh declared it a wildlife sanctuary by G.O.Ms.No. 484 of 5 July 1978 to conserve the mangrove vegetation of the estuary, which extends over about 235 sq km.
Mangroves are salt-tolerant forests of tropical and sub-tropical shores, estuaries, tidal creeks and backwaters. According to the district website, they act as a barrier against coastal storms and high tides, supply nutrients that support fish, prawn and crab production, shelter wildlife and nesting migratory birds, and help protect the coastline from erosion.
Flora
The sanctuary has 35 plant species belonging to 24 families. Avicennia marina, Avicennia officinalis and Avicennia alba, along with Excoecaria agallocha, are dominant. Other common species include Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops decandra, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Sonneratia apetala and Aegiceras corniculatum.
Mangroves show typical adaptations: stilt roots in Rhizophora, pneumatophores (breathing roots) in Avicennia and Sonneratia, and viviparous seedlings in Rhizophora, Bruguiera and Ceriops, where the seedling grows on the parent plant before it detaches.
Fauna
Mammals include the smooth Indian otter, fishing cat, jackal and monkeys. Mudskippers, crabs and molluscs live on the mud surface. More than 120 bird species are reported, and common ones include little egret, cattle egret, pied kingfisher, black-capped kingfisher, reef heron, grey heron, purple heron, Brahminy kite, open-bill stork, flamingos and sea gulls. The sanctuary also has an 18 km sand spit on its north-eastern side where the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle nests during January to March each year.
Timings
09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Timings are not confirmed on an official website; check with the temple before travelling.
Entry charges
Adults – 10 INR, Children – 5 INR
Best time to visit Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
The East Godavari district website lists December to June as the visiting season, with the sanctuary explored by boat and on foot.
How to Reach Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
By Air: Rajahmundry Airport – 60 km
By Train: Rajahmundry Railway Station – 57 km, Kakinada town Railway Station – 19 km
By Bus: Kakinada – 20 km, Rajahmundry – 61 km
The district website names Chollangi, Matlapalem and Ramannapalem, on the Kakinada-Yanam road about 10-15 km from Kakinada, as places from which the sanctuary can be visited. Forest rest houses are listed at Kakinada (Division Forest Officer, Territorial, Madhavanagar) and at Rajahmundry (Division Forest Officer, Wildlife Management Division).
Address
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Kakinada, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, 533461, India.
AP Official Website Of Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
Also Read Place To Visit In And Around East Godavari District
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