News Excerpt:
A Nature Interpretation Centre, a new project of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department will be located along the periphery of the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
About the Natural Interpretation Centre:
- This centre will be a unique blend of nature and art, where conservation, education, and artistic expression will converge.
- It is a bilingual project in English and Telugu.
- This centre will showcase the critical ecosystems of the Eastern Ghats and also shows the association of tribal communities with the forests.
- It is divided into different sections such as marine, coastal, and wetland ecosystems.
- The mangrove ecosystem replica is the highlight of the Nature Interpretation Centre.
- As the state of Andhra Pradesh is vulnerable to cyclones, a separate mangrove wall highlights how a mangrove forest stands like a wall of defense along the Andhra Pradesh coast protecting it from storms and cyclones.
About the Sanctuary:
- It is named after the local hillock " Kambalakonda " and covers an area of 71 square kilometers.
- It is located in the Eastern Ghats region in Andhra Pradesh and was granted legal status in the year 2002.
-
Fauna:
-
The invertebrate fauna includes insects, arachnids, etc.
-
Reptilian fauna is represented by Russell viper, Common Cobra, Chameleon, etc.
-
Avifauna includes Paradise flycatcher, Tree pie, Quails, Partridges, etc.
-
The mammalian fauna includes mammals like Leopard, Barking Deer, Jackal, etc and Indian Leopard is its Indicator species.
- Indian Leopard is categorized as “Vulnerable” under the IUCN Red List.
-
Flora:
- Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary hosts dry evergreen forests with scrubs and meadows, a highly threatened and unique forest type seen only in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in India.
Major Wildlife Sanctuaries in Andhra Pradesh
