Saving Asia’s fishing cat means protecting threatened wetland habitat

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8 Ways To Find The Best Web Design Agencies For Your…Fishing cats are uniquely adapted to life in wetlands, possessing a double-layered coat that serves as a water barrier and insulation, partially webbed feet, ears that plug when submerged, and a curious call reminiscent of a duck.

Many cats despise mud and water, but not so the fishing cat. This enigmatic medium-sized cat species roams South and Southeast Asia and is uniquely adapted to life in wetlands — so much so that its call “That’s a marvelous adaptation! That tells us how nature has cherry-picked these traits for the fishing cat’s survival as a wetland species,” says Adhya. Despite its name, this mostly nocturnal felid eats far more than fish; it dines on aThanks to researchers and conservationists, often working with shoestring budgets, comparatively more is known about fishing cats compared to some other small wildcat species. But significant and sometimes glaring knowledge gaps remain, Adhya says.

Experts do know that fishing cats are adaptable, even able to habituate themselves to degraded lands and human-dominated landscapes, though only to an extent. Conservationists in, living in close proximity to people brings with it many dangers.

Promoting this ambassadorial role can help protect neglected wetlands, Adhya argues, pointing to a recent example in West Bengal’sA fishing cat prepares to pounce on its aquatic prey at Cincinnati Zoo in the U.S. “Cats are charismatic and they have always attracted our attention,” says Adhya. “The fishing cat is one that is representative of wetlands, a critically endangered ecosystem,” which has led to its becoming an ambassador for these watery habitats.

“The … entire bigger vision is to link the healthy wetlands to fishing cat conservation and human sustenance,” Adhya explains. “We try to work to instill this feeling into the community.”in India are now deeply involved in fishing cat preservation, organizing successful Fishing Cat Protection Committees, youth camps, conservation initiatives and goat seed banks, which provide community members with livestock to support their livelihoods.

A fishing cat near Colombo, Sri Lanka, surrounded by trash. As an adaptable wetland species, fishing cats are exposed to novel threats such as plastic pollution. Researchers in Sri Lanka foundA community mangrove restoration project in Cambodia. Restoring wetlands is an integral part of efforts to protect fishing cats, says Vanessa Herranz Muñoz. Her organization is also tackling other threats such as poaching. Small wildcats are being swept up in Southeast Asia’s snaring crisis.

Source: Holiday News (holidaynews.net)

 

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