On the occasion of Global Tiger Day, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change released a national report titled Status of Small Cats in Tiger Landscapes of India at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi. The report marks the first country-wide assessment of nine small wild cat species found in India’s tiger-bearing forests.
The report draws on data from the All-India Tiger Estimation exercises conducted in 2018 and 2022. Over 57,000 camera trap locations were surveyed across 18 states, yielding more than 24,800 photo-captures and over 17,000 individual detections of small wild cats between 2018 and 2022. The data allowed scientists to assess the distribution and occupancy of species such as the jungle cat, rusty-spotted cat, leopard cat, fishing cat, and others, offering a clearer picture of their current status and trends over time.
The jungle cat was identified as the most widely distributed small cat species, with an estimated occupancy across 96,275 square kilometres. The species was found in a range of forest types and showed a consistent presence in 46 percent of the surveyed grid cells in both 2018 and 2022.
In contrast, the rusty-spotted cat, despite its wide range, showed a 21 percent decline in occupancy between the two survey periods. It was recorded across 70,075 square kilometres, with a stronger presence in central India, particularly in mixed deciduous forests. Researchers noted its absence in areas where it had been previously detected.
The leopard cat, usually found in moist forests, was recorded across 32,800 square kilometres. Its range spanned the Himalayan foothills, Northeast India, the Sundarbans, and the Western Ghats. While the species maintained presence in about half of its earlier range, local declines were observed in some landscapes.
Other habitat specialists showed more restricted distributions. The desert cat was found across 12,500 square kilometres, mainly in the dry and semi-arid regions of western and central India. The fishing cat, which relies on wetland and mangrove habitats, was found in 7,575 square kilometres, with populations in the Terai Arc, Northeast, and coastal regions.
Three elusive species, namely the clouded leopard, marbled cat, and Asiatic golden cat, were primarily confined to forest patches in Northeast India. Each was recorded in less than 4,000 square kilometres. The marbled cat and Asiatic golden cat were not detected in over 75 percent of areas where they had been previously observed, suggesting highly fragmented or declining populations.
The report also examined the role of protected areas in supporting small cat species. Most showed higher occupancy within protected areas, underlining the role of tiger reserves in safeguarding broader carnivore diversity. However, species like the jungle cat and rusty-spotted cat were also frequently recorded outside protected zones.
The report recommends ongoing monitoring, targeted ecological studies, and the integration of small cat species into national and state-level wildlife management plans.
Banner image: The rusty-spotted cat, known as the hummingbird of cats, falls in the ‘Near Threatened’ category in the IUCN Red List. Photo by Radheshyam Bishnoi
