The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance has recently initiated a global campaign to enhance awareness about preserving fishing cats. Comprising of environmentalists, researchers, and wildlife enthusiasts, the Alliance aims to establish well-functioning floodplains and coastal ecosystems prerequisite for the survival of fishing cats.
Understanding the Fishing Cat
Scientifically named Prionailurus viverrinus, the fishing cat is approximately double the size of a domestic cat. These creatures possess nocturnal habits and hence are primarily active during the night. Besides indulging in fish, their diet also consists of frogs, crustaceans, snakes, and birds. They are even known to scavenge on the carcasses of larger animals. Breeding all through the year, the species primarily inhabit areas brimming with dense vegetation and situated close to water bodies. Excelling in swimming, the fishing cat’s lifestyle revolves significantly around water.
Habitual Preferences of Fishing Cats
The distribution of fishing cats is widely concentrated along the Eastern Ghats, inhabiting estuarine floodplains, tidal mangrove forests, and inland freshwater habitats. Apart from being found in Sundarbans spanning West Bengal and Bangladesh, these creatures inhabit the Chilika lagoon and surrounding wetlands in Odisha, as well as the Coringa and Krishna mangroves located in Andhra Pradesh.
Threats Hampering the Survival of Fishing Cats
Multiple factors contribute towards threatening the existence of fishing cats. Wetland degradation and conversion for aquaculture and various commercial projects pose a significant threat. Moreover, sand mining activities carried out along river banks and intensifying agricultural practices culminating in the loss of riverine buffer have been detrimental to the preservation of these creatures. In certain areas, human-animal conflict results in targeted hunting and retaliatory killings of these animals.
The Protection Status of Fishing Cats
Despite facing a multitude of threats, the fishing cat’s classification was recently downgraded from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable” in the IUCN Red List species assessment. According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the fishing cat falls under Appendix II, and in the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, it is categorized under Schedule I.
Conservation Efforts for Fishing Cats
Several initiatives are being undertaken to conserve and learn more about the fishing cat species. Recently, the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance commenced studying the bio-geographical distribution of fishing cats in Northeastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh which are unprotected, dominated by human habitation. Furthermore, the West Bengal government declared the Fishing Cat as the State Animal in 2012, and Calcutta Zoo has dedicated two large enclosures for their habitation. In Odisha, several NGOs and wildlife conservation societies play an active role in conducting research and conserving the fishing cat species. The Fishing Cat Project launched in 2010 has been instrumental in raising awareness about the existence and preservation of fishing cats in West Bengal.
Last Modified: February 10, 2024