# Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary

The Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary is a forest located near Visakhapatnam. It has been under the control of Andhra Pradesh Forest Department since 10 March 1970. Earlier the land was under the control of Maharajah of Vizianagaram. It was named after the local hillock Kambalakonda. It is a dry evergreen forest mixed with scrub and meadows and covers an area of 70.70 square kilometers. The indicator species is the Indian leopard.

## Geography

The sanctuary is located from latitudes of 17.34° N to 17.47° N and longitudes of 83.04° E to 83.20° E. The location corresponds to an area west of National Highway 16 on the northern side of Visakhapatnam and Pendurthi in Visakhapatnam district. It can be reached by road about 3 km from Visakhapatnam, opposite to zoo park.
The sanctuary has a dry evergreen forest mixed with scrub and meadows. The terrain is hilly with steep slopes.

## Flora and fauna
### Flora

There is diverse flora and fauna in this sanctuary representing the Eastern Ghats. Floral diversity is high and includes:
| Common name | Formal name | Local name |
| Indian licorice | Abrus precatorius | గురువింద |
| Tree of Heaven | Ailanthus excelsa | పెదమాను |
| Sage-leaved alangium | Alangium salviifolium | ఊడుగ |
| Neem tree | Azadirachta indica | వేప |
| Indian thorny bamboo | Bambusa bambos | ముళ్ళవెదురు |
| Bidi leaf tree | Bauhinia racemosa | తెల్ల ఆరె |
| Mountain pomegranate | Catunaregam spinosa | మంగ |
| East Indian satinwood | Chloroxylon swietenia | బిల్లుడు |
| Buttercup tree | Cochlospermum religiosum | కొండగోగు |
| Golden shower tree | Cassia fistula | రేల |
| Bush plum tree | Carissa spinarum | వాక |
| Indian rosewood | Dalbergia sissoo | ఇరుగుడుసేవ |
| Banyan tree | Ficus benghalensis | మర్రి |
| Hairy fig tree | Ficus hispida | బొడ్డ |
| Indian fig tree | Ficus racemosa | మేడి |
| White fig tree | Ficus virens | జువ్వి |
| Indian boxwood | Gardenia latifolia | పెదకరింగ |
| Dhaman tree | Grewia tiliaefolia | తడ |
| White teak | Gmelina arborea | గుమ్మడి టేకు |
| Indian screw tree | Helicteres isora | నులి తడ |
| Indian ash tree | Lannea coromandelica | గుంపెన |
| Ironwood tree | Manilkara hexandra | పాల |
| Indian mulberry | Morinda tinctoria | తగర |
| Jungle berry | Polyalthia cerasoides | దుద్దుగ |
| Dinnerplate tree | Pterospermum suberifolium | కనకచంపకం |
| Jamun tree | Syzygium cumini | నేరేడు |
| Red cutch tree | Senegalia chundra | చండ్ర |
| Teak | Tectona grandis | టేకు |
| White babul | Vachellia leucophloea | తెల్లతుమ్మ |
| Indigo tree | Wrightia tinctoria | ఆంకుడు |

### Fauna

There is a varied fauna present in the sanctuary.

#### Mammals

| Common name | Formal name | Observed |
| Indian muntjac | Muntiacus muntjak | Common |
| Indian spotted chevrotain | Moschiola indica | Common |
| Indian leopard | Panthera pardus fusca | Rare |
| Indian jackal | Canis aureus indicus | Rare |
| Indian wild dog | Cuon alpinus | Rare |
| Indian pangolin | Manis crassicaudata | Rare |
| Indian boar | Sus scrofa cristatus | Common |
| Indian crested porcupine | Hystrix indica | Common |
| Indian hare | Lepus nigricollis | Common |
| Rusty-spotted cat | Prionailurus rubiginosus | Rare |
| Jungle cat | Felis chaus | Common |
| Madras treeshrew | Anathana ellioti | Rare |
| Ruddy mongoose | Herpestes smithii | Common |
| Sambar deer | Rusa unicolor | Common |
| Spotted deer | Axis axis | Common |
| Asian palm civet | Paradoxurus hermaphroditus | Common |

#### Reptiles

| Common name | Formal name | Observed |
| Indian python | Python molurus | Rare |
| Rat snake | Ptyas mucosus | Common |
| Indian cobra | Naja naja | Common |
| Common Indian bronzeback | Dendrelaphis tristis | Common |
| Common Asian vine snake | Ahaetulla nasuta | Rare |
| Russell's viper | Daboia russelii | Rare |
| Indian chameleon | Chamaeleo zeylanicus | Common |
| Bengal monitor | Varanus bengalensis | Common |
| Visakhapatnam limbless skink | Barkudia melanosticta | Rare |

#### Birds

| Common name | Formal name | Observed |
| Indian paradise flycatcher | Terpsiphone paradisi | Common |
| Rufous treepie | Dendrocitta vagabunda | Common |
| Black drongo | Dicrurus macrocercus | Common |
| Indian golden oriole | Oriolus kundoo | Rare |
| Indian peafowl | Pavo cristatus | Rare |
| Grey francolin | Francolinus pondicerianus | Rare |
| Laughing dove | Spilopelia senegalensis | Common |
| Spotted dove | Spilopelia chinensis | Common |
| Red-wattled lapwing | Vanellus indicus | Common |
| Rose-ringed parakeet | Psittacula krameri | Common |
| Pied crested cuckoo | Clamator jacobinus | Common |
| Barn owl | Tyto alba | Rare |
| Spotted owlet | Athene brama | Common |
| Green bee-eater | Merops orientalis | Common |
| Indian grey hornbill | Ocyceros birostris | Rare |
| Indian roller | Coracias benghalensis | Common |
| Red-whiskered bulbul | Pycnonotus jocosus | Common |
| Indian robin | Copsychus fulicatus | Common |
| Baya weaver | Ploceus philippinus | Common |
| White wagtail | Motacilla alba | Common |
| Pied kingfisher | Ceryle rudis | Common |
| Banded bay cuckoo | Cacomantis sonneratii | Rare |
| Purple-rumped sunbird | Nectarinia zeylonica | Common |
| Painted spurfowl | Galloperdix lunulata | Rare |
| White-bellied sea eagle | Haliaeetus leucogaster | Rare |

#### Butterflies

| Common name | Formal name | Observed |
| Lemon pansy | Junonia lemonias | Common |
| Anomalous nawab | Charaxes agraria | Common |
| Indian sunbeam | Curetis thetis | Common |
| Plain tiger | Danaus chrysippus | Common |
| Peacock pansy | Junonia almana | Rare |
| Common banded peacock | Papilio crino | Rare |
| Great eggfly | Hypolimnas bolina | Common |
| Common crow | Euploea core | Common |
| Danaid eggfly | Hypolimnas misippus | Common |
| Lime swallowtail | Papilio demoleus | Common |
| Blue tiger | Tirumala limniace | Common |
| Common Mormon | Papilio polytes | Common |
| Mottled emigrant | Catopsilia pyranthe | Common |
| Common jay | Graphium doson | Common |
| Dark grass blue | Zizeeria karsandra | Common |
| Common gull | Cepora nerissa | Common |
| Monkey puzzle | Rathinda amor | Common |
| Common pierrot | Castalius rosimon | Common |
| Baronet | Euthalia nais | Rare |

## Gallery

* Pentatomid nymph at Kambalakonda, Visakhapatnam
* Capparis zeylanica shrub kambalakonda, Visakhapatnam
* Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, Visakhapatnam
* Indian peafowl at Kambalakonda, Visakhapatnam
* Reflections at Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary
* Forest at Kambalakonda Visakhapatnam
* Rest area at Kambalakonda Ecopark
* Greenery at Kambalakonda Eco Park
* Eastern Ghats of Kambalakonda
* Mottled emigrant butterflies (Catopsilia pyranthe) at Kambalakonda
* Huge anthill at Kambalakonda
* A dragon fly (helicopter) at Kambalakonda