Description:
Pulicat Sanctuary is located 60-km from Chennai, spreading over Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It covers a total area of 500-sq-km. It is famous as the second largest brackish water lagoon in India along the coast of Bay Bengal. Backwaters of the sea attract large numbers of migratory water birds. It is also a well-known feeding and breeding ground for a variety of aquatic and terrestrial birds. People living in the adjoining 16 islands and 30 villages are directly or indirectly dependent on the lake for their livelihood. It supports a rich bio-diversity. It is surrounded by southern tropical dry evergreen forest with species like Manilkara Hexandra, Albizzia Amara, Strychnos Muxvomica, Ficus Tiela, Dryopteris Sepiata, Pteriospermus, Uberifolium, Glaucum etc and mangrove forest with species like Ezcocaria, Agollocha, Auicenia Officinales, Acanthies Ilicifolius, Rhizophora Apiculata, Xylocarpus Moluecenix, Degiceros Conrniculatum.
The most important bird species that visit this lake is Flamingo. About 15,000 Flamingos visit Pulicat every year. Other birds found here are Pelicans, Painted Storks, Open Billed Storks, Grey Herons, Cormorants, White Ibises, Spoon Bills, Egrets, Reef Herons, Spot Billed Ducks, Shoe Vellers, Pintails, Sand Pipers, Gills, and River Term etc.
Invertebrates like Prawn, Plankton and Mollusks and fishes of about 65 different species like Sable Fish, Sargin Fish, White, Black and Silver Prophets etc. can also be seen here. One can find reptiles like Monitor Lizard, Calottes, Cobra, Russel Viper, and Krait etc.
