Punjab: Wildlife enthusiasts thrilled over discovery of Indian Fishing Cat at Hoshiarpur farm

Ripples of exhilaration have run through wildlife enthusiasts in the state with the discovery of kittens of the ‘endangered’ Indian Fishing Cat (prionailurus viverrinus) at a nondescript farm bordering a forest in Hoshiarpur. Punjab is an unlikely area for the Indian Fishing Cat to be spotted, as it feeds primarily on amphibians — fish and snakes, insects and also birds. More likely to be found in vast marshy areas, swamplands, wetlands and the coastal deltas, the Fishing Cat isn’t commonly known to inhabit Punjab.
The last time it was spotted in the state was seven to eight years ago.
The Indian Fishing Cat has been classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the Red List of Threatened Species issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild due to habitat loss, degradation and other threats.
The last time it was spotted in the state was seven to eight years ago.
The Indian Fishing Cat has been classified as ‘vulnerable’ on the Red List of Threatened Species issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild due to habitat loss, degradation and other threats.