A recent study in Nepal revealed that the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) has a significantly larger home range than previously assumed. GPS tracking in the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve found that home ranges of these rare cats average between 29 and 40 square kilometers.
This finding is attributed to advancements in GPS technology that provide more accurate data. The study was led by Dr. Rama Mishra, in collaboration with Dr. Krushna Kumar Yadav from Kathmandu University and Dr. M. A. Khan from the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
This week, also another study on fishing cat was published by the same team of researchers. Here, they used DNA techniques to gain insights into the diet of the fishing cat. It highlights the crucial role of fishing cats in controlling rodent populations, which can cause a lot of damage to crops. Unfortunately, these cats face threats from habitat loss and human-wildlife conflicts, because they also like to hunt in commercial fishing ponds.
Both studies are part of Rama Mishra’s PhD. In the meantime, she successfully defended her doctoral thesis at Antwerp University. Congratulations Dr. Rama! Leo Foundation supported parts of this important PhD research, also for building local capacity to protect this interesting species.
Read more about this groundbreaking research: Fishing cat home range far bigger than previously thought, Nepal study suggests
The entire thesis can be downloaded here.
Leave a Comment