Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) has unveiled the first scientific assessment of the Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), confirming the globally vulnerable species, protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, thriving across its wetlands. KNPTR officials said that a study conducted by the Tiger Cell of Kaziranga in collaboration with Tiasa Adhya, scientist associated with the Fishing Cat Project, assessed the camera-trap images available from past All India Tiger Estimation data with two main objectives – determining if Fishing Cats are rare or common in Kaziranga, and estimating minimum individuals present. Altogether 57 unique individuals across over 450 sq km were identified, indicating a healthy, reproducing population widely distributed throughout the Tiger Reserve.
“The study, which largely relied on by-catch data arrived at this number which is likely to be an undercount, as the data is based on camera trap grid size placed for tigers. However, it also provides a good methodology for setting up baseline studies for lesser-known species other than the Big Five,” Sonali Ghosh, field director, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, informed. The Fishing Cat, one of few felids adapted for aquatic hunting, faces threats from habitat loss and hunting, with disappearances noted in Vietnam and Java. South Asia holds its global core population, tied to lowland river basin wetlands. “Our findings position Kaziranga as a vital ‘Ark’ for this wetland specialist in the Brahmaputra floodplains,” Ghosh said. Optimal habitats include wet alluvial grasslands, shallow beels, wet meadows, and woodland refugia that aid flood survival. “Study establishes a baseline for monitoring floodplain dynamics, where flood changes could alter bevels and marshes and the presence of Fishing Cat in large numbers indicate it to be an ecological sentinel for Kaziranga,” said Tiasa Adhya of Fishing Cat project. The report was launched during the Fishing Cat Day on Sunday.