The wetlands of West Bengal in eastern India are one of the country\u2019s best habitats for the fishing cat, a species vulnerable to extinction. But a significant population of these fish-eating, mid-sized wildcats lives outside protected areas, putting them at high risk of road accidents and retaliatory killing, reports contributor Nabarun Guha for Mongabay India.<\/p>\n
Indian states often designate an official \u201cstate animal,\u201d and for West Bengal it\u2019s the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), which can be found prowling near rivers, marshes, lakes and mangroves.<\/p>\n
To understand their distribution outside protected areas, researchers recently deployed camera traps across wetland areas of southern West Bengal. They documented the cats at 24 locations, 17 of which weren\u2019t previously known to harbor fishing cats. \u201cAnd 60% of these locations are adjacent to human settlements where fishes are cultivated in ponds for consumption, while the remaining 40% are near commercial fish cultivation areas known as bherry,\u201d study lead author Samrat Chakraborty, from the University of Calcutta, told Guha.<\/p>\n
Living near people can be dangerous. In a previous study, Chakraborty found that West Bengal\u2019s fishing cats are often killed in road accidents. \u201cThese incidents have increased because highway networks are separating suitable habitat patches of these cats,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Chitrak Pramanik, an animal rescuer, said at least 70 fishing cats have died in road accidents in Howrah near Kolkata, West Bengal\u2019s capital, in the last three to four years.<\/p>\n
The fishing cat is also a victim of its name. In Bengali, it\u2019s called baghrol for it\u2019s tiger-like stripes. \u201cAs a result, many people associate them with tigers or misidentify them as tiger cubs. They start targeting fishing cats, thinking they are a threat, when actually there is no documented case of fishing cats attacking any adult or minor human,\u201d Chakraborty said.<\/p>\n
To counter this problem, conservationists and authorities have conducted campaigns to rename baghrol to mechobiral, meaning fish-eating cat. \u201cNow, I see people are using the word baghrol less while verbally communicating as well as in social media. The change in name has also brought down the retaliatory killing of fishing cats,\u201d Chakraborty said.<\/p>\n
Even with the name change, the cats remain competitors for fishermen, who sometimes try to kill them, Chakraborty said. \u201cWhen fish is not available, these cats enter localities and kill ducks and poultry, thus inviting the wrath of their owners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Awareness programs are trying to inform communities about the cats\u2019 protected status in India, the legal consequences of killing them, and their ecological importance.<\/p>\n
Much of the fishing cat\u2019s wetland habitats lie outside protected areas, which are rapidly being developed, environmentalist Joydip Kundu told Guha. \u201cThe biggest challenge for the protection of our state animals is restoring their habitat, which we need to do on a war footing.\u201d<\/p>\n
This article<\/a> by Nabarun Guha was first published by Mongabay.com on 4 April 2025. Lead Image: A fishing cat by Kelinahandbasket via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).<\/i><\/p>\n Wildlife continues to face threats, which include hunting, poaching, illegal trade in animal products, habitat loss as well as a rapidly changing climate.<\/p>\n Become a Wildlife Champion today by supporting our conservation partners<\/a> with a monthly donation as little as $1.<\/p>\nWhat you can do<\/h2>\n