Searching for 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 massive cats, the lions and tigers. Not a lot is thought of the smaller wild cats – the caracal, 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 stuffed with threats far bigger than themselves.

Wetlands in India are house to the fishing cat, which grows to twice the dimensions of the home cat, weighs seven to 12 kg, and has a greyish brown fur lined with black spots. In its territory, this cat is commonly the apex predator, which means no different creature preys on it. Wetlands are vibrant ecosystems characterised by waterlogged soil like 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 waterproof coat and the power to swim whereas totally 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’ eating regimen 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 shifting 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 terai area of the Himalayas, some marshes of Western India, the Sundarbans, alongside the East coast, and in Sri Lanka.

Wildlife surveys for holding monitor of the patchy populations of this elusive nocturnal cat utilise digital camera traps set close to the water’s edge. An elaborate rely has been carried out by Tiasa Adhya of the Fishing Cat Challenge and a community of collaborators (see fishingcat.org) within the Chilka lake, the place there may be an abundance of fish and restricted battle with people. Extrapolating their outcomes provides us an estimate of about 750 fishing cats within the 1,100 sq. km expanse of the lagoon (see: Endangered Species Analysis, 54, 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 12 months. 

The decline is basically 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 many years. Defending wetland ecosystems is due to this fact essential for the fishing cat. Human encroachment has additionally severely affected them. Many individuals see them as predators of fish ponds and hen coops, and an alarming variety of revenge kills by people have been documented. Group-based conservation programmes seem to carry the important thing to lowering this animosity.

This 12 months, the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun has initiated a mission to trace fishing cats within the estuaries of the Godavari river throughout the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary close to Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. Utilizing GPS collars with GIS integration, exact location information of collared cats shall be collected. Steady information from the collars will present insights on most popular habitats, motion, and the place they encounter human settlements. All these shall be helpful for designing methods to spice up fishing cat populations.

This text was co-authored with Sushil Chandani.