Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Canacona taluka (or South Goa district) of Goa, in India. Founded in 1968, this is the southernmost sanctuary in Goa. The sanctuary supports three forest types 1) Moist Deciduous Forests - the prevalent forest type 2) Semi-Evergreen Forests 3) Evergreen Forests. The best time to visit the sanctuary is from October to December. The sanctuary supports diverse life forms. It is noted for its animal and plant biodiversity. The lesser-known animals in the sanctuary include the Flying Squirrel, Slender Loris, Indian Pangolin, Mouse Deer, Four-horned Antelope, Malabar Pit Viper, Hump-Nosed Pit Viper, White-bellied Woodpecker, Malabar Trogon, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Speckled Piculet, Malayan Bittern, Draco or Flying Lizard, Golden-back Gliding Snake and Malabar Tree Toad.
The sanctuary has eight well laid out nature trails traversing it. The length of the nature trails ranges from 500 metres to 5 kilometres. There are six watchtowers in the sanctuary. Also there is one 'tree top;' it is situated about 20 metres high on a tree overlooking a waterhole. Both the Gal and Talpona rivers of Canacona Tlauka originate from the sanctuary. At the entrance to the sanctuary there is an ecotourism complex which houses the nature interpretation centre, cottages, toilets, library, reception area and rescue centre, canteen and Range Forest Office. The sanctuary has been declared a plastic-free zone by the State Government and violators are prosecuted with a fine. The sanctuary is open from 0700 till 1730 for visitors. There are tribal (Velip) hamlets in and around the sanctuary. The Velip are very friendly people and one can interact with them during the visit to discover their lifestyle and culture. There is also a rubber plantation within the sanctuary boundary limits where the processing of rubber is demonstrated.
In addition to the Velip tribal communities, the ancient Jeevottam Partagal Math, known for their Vedic studies, make their home in the forests, as do the Kunbi.
