Context: Recently, 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.

About 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. 
• The fishing cat is nocturnal (active at night) and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals.
• Habitat: In India, fishing cats are mainly found in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, on the foothills of the Himalayas along the Ganga and Brahmaputra river valleys and in the Western Ghats.

Protection Status

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Despite multiple threats, the Fishing Cat was recently downlisted to “Vulnerable” from “Endangered” in the IUCN Red List species assessment.
• CITES: Appendix II
• Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
  

About Coringa Mangroves

• Godavari Mangroves at the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWLS) are touted to be the second largest mangroves in India. The largest mangrove forest in the world is Sundarbans, West Bengal.
• The mangrove forests in Andhra Pradesh are located in the estuaries of the Godavari and the Krishna rivers. The Godavari mangroves are located in Godavari estuary of East Godavari district.
• Located in Andhra Pradesh, the CWLS is home to numerous endangered species including the fishing cat, otter, jackal, sea turtles, sea gull, pelican, stork, heron, snipes, flamingos among others.
• Along with the mangrove forest, the Hope Island, a naturally formed sandy stretch amidst the sea that turned into a synonym for biodiversity, too comes under the purview of the sanctuary.
• Once the Coringa sanctuary gets the heritage site tag, UNESCO will help develop tourism and protect the wildlife in the mangroves.

About the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary

• Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary has the second largest stretch of mangrove forests in India with 24 tree species, after Sundarbans. 
• The sanctuary also has an 18-km-long sand pit where olive ridley sea turtles nest from January to March every year. 
• Hope Island and Sacramento Island located in the mangrove region are two important nesting sites for the endangered Olive Ridley turtles.
• Located on the backwaters of the Bay of Bengal, the sanctuary is home to numerous endangered species including the fishing cat, otter, jackal, sea turtle, sea gull, pelican, stork, heron, snipes, flamingos among others.