FISHING CAT CONSERVATION ALLIANCE

• Be N By IAS, Delhi
• 04, Feb 2021

For: GS-3: Biodiversity

CONTEXT:

• The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance will be starting a worldwide month-long campaign to raise awareness for conservation of fishing cats.
• The highly elusive fishing cat, a lesser-known feline species, is facing several threats due to its depleting habitat.

ABOUT FISHING CAT CONSERVATION ALLIANCE:

• The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance is a team of conservationists, researchers and enthusiasts across the world.
• Aims: It is working to achieve a single dream — a world with functioning floodplains and coastal ecosystems that ensure survival of the fishing cat and all species with which it shares a home.
• It supports the conservation of fishing cats and their natural habitats within their geographical range in South and South East Asia.

FISHING CAT:

• The fishing cat, Prionailurus viverrinus, is a highly elusive wild cat species.
• Region: South and Southeast Asia.
• Habitat: It is found primarily in wetland and mangrove ecosystems.
• Unlike most felines, fishing cats love water and are known for their expert hunting skills in aquatic habitats.
• Found in: Sundarbans in West Bengal and Bangladesh, Chilika lagoon, Coringa, and Krishna mangroves in Andhra Pradesh.
• Conservation Status:

1. IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
2. CITES: Appendix II
3. Wildlife Protection Act,1972: Schedule

Source: The Hindu

MCQs:

Q. The fishing cat is a highly elusive wild cat species. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding it?

1. It is found primarily in wetland and mangrove ecosystems.
2. Its IUCN conservation status is critically endangered.

Select the correct answer using the code below.

• a) 1 Only
• b) 2 Only
• c) Both 1 and 2
• d) Neither 1 nor 2

ANS: A