I am accompanying a group of wildlife conservationists working on the endangered Fishing cat. Instead, it growls and charges at us,” says Maity, adding, “The cat comes to steal fish from our ponds, especially Catla fish. “The Fishing cat is one of the 15 felid species that is found in India and, like other smaller cat species, is poorly understood,” says wildlife biologist Tiasa Adhya, member of the Fishing Cat Working Group and the Cat Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Ghosh narrates how Fishing cats stole around 50 grass carps from his neighbour’s pond over two months, leading to considerable losses. Popularly known as the Dankuni wetlands, they are home to many endangered birds and mammals, including the Fishing cat.

Source: Mint April 07, 2017 12:45 UTC