For the first time, a Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) was recorded in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR), Bundi district, Rajasthan on 24 September 2025. Captured on camera during routine tiger monitoring in the Ramgarh Range, this sighting adds a fifth small-cat species to RVTR alongside Jungle Cat, Rusty-spotted Cat, Asiatic Wildcat, and Caracal. The Fishing Cat is an IUCN Vulnerable species associated with wetland habitats, reinforcing RVTR's status as a biodiversity hotspot.
First-Ever Fishing Cat Sighted in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
AQuick answer
For the first time, a Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) was recorded in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR), Bundi district, Rajasthan on 24 September 2025. Captured on camera during routine tiger monitoring in the Ramgarh Range, this sighting adds a fifth small-cat species to RVTR alongside Jungle Cat, Rusty-spotted Cat, Asiatic Wildcat, and Caracal. The Fishing Cat is an IUCN Vulnerable species associated with wetland habitats, reinforcing RVTR's status as a biodiversity hotspot.
Key facts
- Fishing Cat recorded for the first time in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve on September 24, 2025.
- The sighting was captured on camera during routine tiger monitoring in Ramgarh Range.
- It is the fifth small-cat species in RVTR after Jungle Cat, Rusty-spotted Cat, Asiatic Wildcat and Caracal.
- Fishing Cat is listed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List and is a Schedule I species under Indian law.
- RVTR is located in Bundi district, Rajasthan, and its notification is dated 30 May 2022.
- The discovery extends the known range of Fishing Cat westward into arid Rajasthan.
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What is the IUCN Red List conservation status of the Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) as mentioned in the article?
Explanation · Correct answer B
The article states that the Fishing Cat is an IUCN Vulnerable species associated with wetland habitats, reinforcing RVTR's status as a biodiversity hotspot.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Fishing Cat and why is its sighting in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve ecologically significant?
The Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat closely associated with wetland habitats like marshes, mangroves, and rivers. It is listed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List and as a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, giving it the highest legal protection in India. Its first-ever sighting in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) on September 24, 2025 is ecologically significant because RVTR lies in arid Bundi district, Rajasthan — far west of the species' known range — extending the known distribution of this wetland-dependent cat into semi-arid terrain.
Where is Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve located and when was it established?
Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (RVTR) is located in Bundi district in the Hadoti region of Rajasthan. It was notified as a tiger reserve in 2021, making it the fourth tiger reserve in Rajasthan (after Ranthambore, Sariska, and Mukundra Hills) and one of the newest in India. RVTR serves as a crucial wildlife corridor linking Ranthambore Tiger Reserve with the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve.
What are the other small-cat species found in Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve?
Prior to the Fishing Cat sighting, RVTR had recorded four small-cat species: the Jungle Cat (Felis chaus), the Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus), the Asiatic Wildcat (Felis lybica ornata), and the Caracal (Caracal caracal). The Fishing Cat's presence makes RVTR home to five small-cat species — an unusually high diversity that reinforces its status as a biodiversity hotspot in the otherwise arid landscape of Rajasthan.
What is the IUCN Red List and what do the different threat categories mean for wildlife conservation?
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species, maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It classifies species into nine categories: Extinct (EX), Extinct in the Wild (EW), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC), Data Deficient (DD), and Not Evaluated (NE). 'Vulnerable' (like the Fishing Cat) means the species faces a high risk of extinction in the wild if threats continue.
Why is the Fishing Cat's range extension into Rajasthan important for conservation planning?
The Fishing Cat has traditionally been associated with the wetter ecosystems of eastern and southern India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Its documented presence in the arid landscape of western Rajasthan — captured during routine tiger monitoring — indicates that the species has a broader ecological plasticity than previously understood. For conservation planners, this discovery means RVTR's wetland habitats within arid terrain must be factored into Fishing Cat protection strategies, and that wildlife corridors in Rajasthan may support a wider range of species than current surveys reflect.
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