In quest of the elusive and threatened fishing cat

Within the wild, India has 15 species belonging to the cat household. A lot Consideration has been given to our giant cats, the lions and tigers. Not a lot is thought of the smaller wild cats – the caraacal, the rusty noticed cat, the fishing cat, and many others. These smaller, extra secretive cats deserve due recognition, as they navigate a world More and more filled with Threats far bigger than themselves.

Wetlands in India are house to the Fishing catWhich grows to twice the scale of the home cat, weighs seven to 12 kg, and have a greyish brown fur lined with black spots. In its territory, this cat is commonly the apex predator, which means no different create preys on it. Wetlands are vibrant ecosystems characterised by Waterlogged Soil that Present in River Floodplains, Mangroves, and Swamps.

Some uncommon variations allow the fishing cat to get by in moist environment. Partially webbed paws, a dense water resistant coat and the flexibility to swim whereas full submerged in water point out aquatic leanings. Protruding claws, which can’t be totally retracted, assist the cat with gripping slippery mud and fish. The cats’ weight-reduction plan is primarily fish, though rodents, chickens, and different small animals are all the time welcome.

The fishing cat spends 50% of its searching time standing, sitting or crouching Close to the sting of water. Barely 5% of Searching Time is Spent Submerged in Water. In Shallow Water, The Cat Retains Transferring Slowly, Pausing to Flush a Fish Out With Its Paws Earlier than Grabbing It With the Mouth.

Populations of the fishing cat are present in scattered pockets: the terei area of the Himalayas, some Marshes of Western India, The Sundarbans, Alongside the East Coast, In Sri Lanka.

Wildlife Surveys for Protecting Monitor of the Patchy Inhabitants of this Elusive Nocturnal Cat Make the most of Digicam traps set close to the water’s edge. An elaborate depend has been carried out by tiasa adhya of the fishing cat undertaking and a community of collaborators (see fishingcat.org) within the chilka lake, the place there may be an abundance of fish and restricted conflist with people. Extrapolating their outcomes offers us an estimate of about 750 fishing cats within the 1,100 sq. km expanse of the lagoon (see: Endangered Species Analysis54, 1, 2024).

This Wholesome Quantity Contrasts With the Cats’ Quickly Dwindling Numbers within the Sundarbans. Fishing cats have been thought to have died out in Rajasthan till sightings within the keoladeo nationwide park earlier this yr.

The decline is bigger on account of habitat loss. It has been estimated that 30-40% of India’s wetlands have been misplaced or severely degraded within the final 4 a long time. Defending Wetland ecosystems is due to this fact Essential for the Fishing Cat. Human encroachment has additionally additionally affected them. Many individuals see them as predators of fish ponds and hen coops, and an alarming variety of Reveenge Kills by People have been documented. Neighborhood-Primarily based Conservation Programmes seem to carry the important thing to Decreasing this Animosity.

This yr, the wildlife institute of India in Dehradun has initiated a undertaking to trace fishing cats within the estuaries of the Godavari river throughout the corninga wildlife sancture Close to Kakinada in Andhra Prradesh. Utilizing GPS collars with gis integration, exact location knowledge of collared cats shall be collected. Steady knowledge from the collars will present insights on most well-liked habitats, motion, and the place they encounter human settlements. All these shall be helpful for designing methods to spice up fishing cat inhabitants.

This text was co-authored with Sushil Chandani.