The existence of the rare Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) has been reconfirmed at Assam’s Manas National Park! The cat was last seen in the park in 2007, and there has been no sighting since. Recently, the elusive cat was captured on camera traps in December 2019 and January 2021 and this news has made wildlife enthusiasts quite happy. Scroll on to know more about this.
Asiatic Golden Cat Returns To Assam’s Manas National Park
In a major conservation breakthrough, a team of officials from the Assam Forest Department and conservationists from biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak have confirmed the return of the Asiatic golden cat to Assam’s Manas National Park. The reappearance was quite critical, as there were doubts about the feline’s existence in the park.
According to The Times of India, the recent photographs of the cat were captured in December 2019 and January 2021. This puts an end to eight years of unsuccessful monitoring attempts. Reportedly, the forest department had set up almost 40,000 camera trap days between 2011 and 2018. However, they yielded no records.
The rediscovery of the Asiatic golden cat highlights the significance of continuing conservation efforts by the Assam Forest Department and conservationists from Aaranyak. The forest department took to X (formerly Twitter) to share images of felines in the forest. The findings of this return have also been published in the summer 2024 edition of ‘CATNews’ of the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group.
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More About This Rare Feline Species
The fantastic news about the return of the Asiatic golden cat in Assam’s Manas National Park has thrilled environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts. This rare species f feline is a medium-sized wild cat that is usually found in southern China, Southeast Asia, and Northeast India. There have been records of the existence of this cat in many protected areas in Bhutan.
In India, the Asiatic golden cat is protected by the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. The species has also been classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. They are found in many protected areas in Northeast India. This includes wildlife sanctuaries in Meghalaya and tiger reserves in Arunachal Pradesh.
It is heartening to see how the constant efforts of the Assam Forest Department and conservationists have helped save an endangered species!
Cover Image Courtesy: X/@assamforest
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