World’s first fishing cat census done in Chilika

Why in news?

• The Chilika Lake, Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon, has 176 fishing cats, according to a census conducted by Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in collaboration with The Fishing Cat Project (TFCP).
• This is the world’s first population estimation of the fishing cat, which has been conducted outside the protected area network.

About Chilika Lake

• Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over three districts of Odisha at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
• It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest coastal lagoon in the world.
• Migratory birds
  • The lagoon hosts over 160 species of birds in the peak migratory season.
  • Birds from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea and other remote parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia and Ladakh come here.
• Conservation
  • In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention due to its rich biodiversity.
  • The Nalaban Island within the lake is notified as a Bird Sanctuary under Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
  • The Government of Odisha had set up Chilika Development Authority (CDA) for restoration and overall development of the lake under the Indian Societies Registration Act.
• The rare and threatened animal species identified are:
  • Green sea turtle (Endangered)
  • Dugong (Vulnerable)
  • Irrawaddy dolphin (Endangered)
  • Fishing Cats (Vulnerable)

What are Fishing Cats?

• It is twice the size of a house cat.
• The fishing cat is nocturnal and apart from fish also preys on frogs, crustaceans, snakes, birds, and scavenges on carcasses of larger animals.
• The species breed all year round.
• They spend most of their lives in areas of dense vegetation close to water bodies and are excellent swimmers.
• Habitat:
  • Fishing cats have a patchy distribution along the Eastern Ghats.
  • They abound in estuarine floodplains, tidal mangrove forests and also inland freshwater habitats.
  • Apart from Sundarbans in West Bengal and Bangladesh, fishing cats inhabit the Chilika lagoon and surrounding wetlands in Odisha, Coringa and Krishna mangroves in Andhra Pradesh.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable.
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding fishing cats?

1. It is twice the size of a house cat

2. They are endemic to Western Ghats

3. They are classified as Vulnerable under IUCN Red List

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer