UPSC Articles
Endangered Species: ‘Fishing Cat’
Part of: GS Prelims and Mains III – Conservation; Endangered Species; Biodiversity
Context:
- Efforts are being made to begin the country’s maiden exercise of collaring 10 fishing cats in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in Andhra Pradesh.
- Experts to study the species’ ecology, home range, behaviour in different seasons, feeding habits, threats, movements and use of space.
Important Value Additions:
Fishing cat
- Fish cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is mammal double the size of domestic cat which is a native to wetlands, swamps and marshy areas.
- Rapid depletion of wetland is posing a threat to the animal on a global scale and India is no exception.
- Fish cat has been designated as ‘vulnerable’ in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary:
- It is a wildlife sanctuary and estuary situated in Andhra Pradesh.
- The sanctuary is a part of the Godavari estuary and has extensive mangrove and dry deciduous tropical forest.
- It is the second largest stretch of mangrove forests in India (after Sundarbans).
- It is home to the critically endangered white-backed vulture and the long-billed vulture.
- Its main wildlife attractions are Golden Jackal, Sea turtle, Fishing cat, Estuarine Crocodile, Small Blue Kingfisher, Cattle Egret.
- Hope Island and Sacramento Island located in the mangrove region are two important nesting sites for the endangered Olive Ridley turtles.
Do you know?
- The Andhra Pradesh government has begun the process to get UNESCO world heritage status for Godavari Mangroves at Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary.
