Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Coringa, Andhra Pradesh.

Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Coringa, Andhra Pradesh.

The Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary opens at 9 AM. The forest area here is called the Mada Forest. Coringa sanctuary is located around the estuary formed by a branch of the Gautami River, a distributary of the Godavari as it meets the sea at Coringa sanctuary. It is also the one of India’s largest mangrove forests.

Even on a Sunday, the sanctuary was empty. The authorities have built a wooden ramp to walk around the forest.

A walk in the forest is an experience to remember. There is absolute silence except for the sounds of the forest. The ramp stretches for 1 &1/2 kms around the forest and in some places passes through branches of huge trees.Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for reptiles and crocodiles. Salt-tolerant plant species comprise the flora here. The fauna, not to be left behind, is no less here. One can see Fishing Cats, Otters, Jackals, Estuarine Crocodiles, Sea Turtles, Sea Gulls, Pelicans, Storks, Herons, Snipes, Flamingos, to name only a few. The sanctuary has over 125 species of birds that include the crested serpent eagle, scarlet minivet, Indian roller, black capped kingfisher, oriental dwarf kingfisher and white bellied woodpecker.