Cat News 80 Lahkar et al. Asiatic golden cat in Manas NP

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original contribution
DIPANKAR LAHKAR1,2, M. FIROZ AHMED1*, AMAL CHANDRA SARMAH3, RAMIE H. BEGUM2,
APRAJITA SINGH1, NIBIR MEDHI1, NITUL KALITA1, SUNIT KUMAR DAS4 AND ABISHEK
HARIHAR
5,6
Reconfirming the presence of
the Asiatic golden cat in Manas
National Park, Assam, India
Following the end of the ethnopolitical conflict in Manas National Park, Assam, we
have reconfirmed the presence of the Asiatic golden cat Catopuma temminckii. Despite
the species expected to occur in the region based on a direct sighting made in 2007, an
intensive annual systematic camera trapping effort of 39,700 trap days over eight years
between 2011 and 2018 yielded no records. Nevertheless, two photographic captures of
the species were made in December 2019 and January 2021, reconfirming its presence
in the park.
The Asiatic golden cat is a medium-sized
felid with a distribution range spanning the
north-eastern Indian subcontinent, South-
east Asia, and southern China (Petersen et
al. 2021). List ed as Near Threatened in the
IUCN Red List, the species is protected under
Scheduled-I of India’s Wildlife (Protection)
Act, 1972 (Anonymous 1972, McCarthy et
al. 2015). The Asiatic golden cat is known to
occur across a wide range of habitats, includ-
ing dry deciduous forests, subtropical ever-
green forests, tropical rainforests, temperate
and sub-alpine forests, and at elevations
ranging from 0 m to 3,738 m. Although widely
distributed, distribution records and popula-
tion status information from across the range
are limited. In north-east India, the species is
recorded from Khangchendzonga Biosphere
Reserve of Sikkim, Buxa Tiger Reserve of
north-Bengal, Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctu-
ary, east Garo, South Garo, and Jaintia hills
of Meghalaya; Dampha Tiger Reserve of
Mizoram, Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Kam-
lang Tiger Reserve, Debang valley, Pakke
Tiger Reserve, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary,
Singchung-Bugun VCR and Talle-Valley Wild-
life Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh, Intanki
National Park of Nagaland, Nameri Tiger
Reserve (Debasish Buragohain Pers. Comm.),
and Manas National Park, Assam (Bashir et
al. 2011, Choudhury 2007, Ghose et al. 2019,
Gouda et al. 2016, Jhala et al. 2020, Lyngdoh
et al. 2019, Mukherjee et al. 2019, Nading et
al. 2016, Nijhawan et al. 2019, Sathyakumar
et al. 2011). The species is also recorded in
many protected areas in Bhutan (Ahmed et
al. 2016, 2019, Dhendup 2016, Penjor et al.
2021).
The Manas National Park MNP, located in the
sub-Himalayan landscape of north-eastern
India, is contiguous with the Royal Manas
National Park, Bhutan. It forms the core of the
Indo-Bhutan Transboundary Manas Conserva-
tion Area TraMCA (6,500 km2). This trans-
boundary landscape is already known as a
hotspot for wild felids with the tiger Panthera
tigris, leopard Panthera pardus, clouded
leopard Neofelis nebulosa, marbled cat
Pardofelis marmorata, jungle cat Felis chaus,
Leopard cat Prionailurus bengalensis, and
the Asiatic golden cat and possibly support-
ing fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus as well
(Ahmed et al. 2016, 2019, Tempa et al. 2013,
Goswami et al. 2014, Lahkar et al. 2018).
From the mid-1980s to 2003, MNP ex-
perienced long-term ethnopolitical conflict
and political instability that continued in parts
of the park until 2017 (Lahkar et al. 2018). Al-
though studies suggest that the mammalian
carnivore assemblage appears intact post-
conflict, confirmatory records of species are
still trickling in (e.g. marbled cat in 2015, chital
Axis axis in 2017, large-toothed ferret badger
Melogale personata in 2018, brush-tailed por-
cupine Atherurus macrourus in 2018; Lahkar
et al. 2018). Although a previous record of
the Asiatic golden cat from MNP, sighted in
2007 by Choudhury (2007) at a distance of
100 m while traveling along the Bansbari-
Mathanguri road, intensive annual camera
trapping surveys between 2011 and 2018,
following 39,700 trap days, did not yield any
captures indicating its rarity in the landscape.
Since 2010, the park management, in collabo-
ration with several non-governmental organi-
sations, has been conducting systematic annual
camera trapping surveys to assess and monitor
species assemblages and popula tions of ico-
nic large mammals (Bhatt et al. 2022, Bhatt &
Lyngdoh 2023, Goswami et al. 2014, Harihar et
al. 2021, Lahkar et al. 2018, 2020a, 2020b, Sinha
et al. 2019). During an annual survey, detection
records of Asiatic golden cats were obtained on
16 December 2019 at 00:15 h in the Woodland
habitat of Chika gonda area (26° 45.399'N /
91° 3.470'E; Figs 1, 2), and subsequently, on 24
January 2021 at 02:20 h in the grasslands near
the Bhumuk area (26° 41.027'N / 91° 2.371'E;
Figs 1, 3), both in the Bansbari Range of the
MNP. Notably, these photo captures were ob-
tained after about a decade of extensive cam-
era trapping effort of 39,700 trap days over
eight years between 2011 and 2018 carried out
annually in the park.
Reconfirmation of this species has conserva-
tion significance in this priority conservation
Fig. 1. The red stars in the map show the photo-capture locations of the golden cat in
Manas National Park, Assam, India.

CATnews 80 Summer 2024
19
landscape. Comprehending their population
status and distribution would further con-
tribute to the conservation implications of
the small felids in this landscape. Although
records are sporadic, the occasional presence
of snares detected by the park’s patrolling
staff could potentially threaten the species.
Additionally, the population of large preda-
tors, like tigers and leopards are recovering.
Therefore, research on the small cats' inter-
actions and responses to the growing big cat
populations will be critical to ensure efficient
management of the entire felid community in
the park.
Acknowledgements
We sincerely acknowledge Chief Wildlife Warden,
Assam, for permission to conduct our research on
tigers and prey animals. Mr Anindya Swargowari,
IFS, former Council Head of the Department- Forests,
Bodoland Territorial Council for his support. We
thank Mr Babul Brahma, Range Officer (In-charge),
Bansbari Range, and Mr Kameswar Baro, Range
Officer (In-charge), Bhuyanpara Range, for support
during the fieldwork. Thanks to Mr Sansuam Narz-
ari and Mr Pabitra Sutradhar for assisting us during
the fieldwork. Authors acknowledge financial sup-
port for annual monitoring of Tigers, Co-predators
and prey animals in Manas NP from the National
Tiger Conservation Authority and State Government
of Assam, IUCN-KfW (2016–2021) and Panthera
(2012–2021).
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reconfirming Asiatic golden cat presence in MNP

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short communication
1 Aaranyak, 13, Tayab Ali Bi–lane, Bishnu Rabha
Path, Guwahati, Assam, 781028, India
* <mfa.aaranyak@gmail.com>
2 Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics,
Assam University (Diphu campus), Diphu, Karbi
Anglong, Assam, 782462, India.
3 Office of the Field Director, Manas Tiger Reserve,
Assam Forest Department, Barpeta Road, Barpe-
ta, Assam, 781315, India
4 WWF–India, Parvati Nagar, Tezpur, Assam,
784001, India.
5 Panthera, 8 West 40th street, 18th Floor, New York,
10018, USA.
6 Nature Conservation Foundation NCF, 1311,
"Amritha" , 12th Main, Vijayanagar 1st Stage,
Mysore 570 017, India.
SUNIT KUMAR DAS1*, PRANABJYOTI BORA2, AMIT SHARMA3, ANUPAM SARMAH4, NAYAN-
MONI DAS5, PRANAV CHANCHANI6 AND JAYASHREE NAIDING7
First photographic record of
fishing cat in Pobitora Wild-
life Sanctuary, Assam, India
The fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus is a nocturnal, elusive felid that primarily inhab-
its riverine wet landscapes. We provide photographic evidence of the felid’s occur-
rence from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India, for the first time. It is an area
dominated by alluvial grasslands and riparian forests and is situated in the floodplains
of the Brahmaputra River. Documentation of this flagship feline has implications for the
conservation management of Pobitora’s alluvial habitat which is highly threatened by
anthropogenic pressures including conversion of forest land, fragmented habitat, high
grazing pressure, and siltation of natural wetlands.
The fishing cat is a medium-sized nocturnal
felid species and the largest member of the
Prionailurus genus. It is listed as ‘Vulnerable’
according to the IUCN Red List, due to its
declining population globally (Mukherjee et
al. 2016). It is found in South and Southeast
Asia and has a broad but patchy distribution
(Mukherjee et al. 2016). The species could be
localised due to its affinity to wetlands like
swamps and marshy areas, oxbow lakes,
reed beds, tidal creeks, and mangrove areas
(Mukherjee et al. 2012). In India, the felid was
primarily reported from the states of Andhra
Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam,
Uttara khand, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan
(Sunquist & Sunquist 2002, Mukherjee 2012,
Sadhu & Reddy 2013, Das et al. 2017). How-
ever, the information about its distribution in
Assam is limited. Its elusive nature makes
them more difficult to document and the use
of modern techniques like camera traps has
the potential to identify new localities to sup-
port management interventions.
Study area
Pobitora (26.012' to 26.015' N / 91.059' to
92.005' E) is situated on the floodplains of
the Brahmaputra River on its south bank in
Morigaon district in Assam (Fig. 1). The veg-
etation of the sanctuary comprises the allu-
vial plains and hilly ranges between the river
Brahmaputra in the North and its tributary
Kolong in the South (Bora & Kumar 2003) and
has a good network of wetlands. Originally
Pobitora was a grazing reserve of the former
Nagaon district and came into limelight dur-
ing the year 1961–1962 for the sighting of the
one-horned rhinoceros Rhino ceros unicornis.
In 1987, a total area of 38.8 km2 of land was
declared as Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and
comprised both the Reserve Forest (27.7 km2)
and Govt. Khas land (11.04 km2) between the
Reserve Forest (Bora 2002). The sanctuary is
surrounded by private agricultural lands in the
east, west, and south. The northern boundary
has rocky hills and sand bars on the banks of
River Brahmaputra.
Camera trap record
Between February to April 2022, camera
traps were deployed across 28 locations to
examine the faunal diversity of the protected
area. As an outcome of the survey on 18 Feb-
ruary 2022, for the first time, a fishing cat was
photo graphed at 21:45 h from Naltoli block of
the sanctuary (Fig. 2). From an effort of 1,456
trap nights, fishing cats were captured from a
total of four locations. We verified the identity
of the species from the coat pattern given by
Menon (2003).
So far, in Assam, the fishing cat is reported
to occur in protected areas of Kaziranga,
Orang, and Manas National Park, all of which
are situated in the Brahmaputra floodplains
(Ahmed et al. 2017). Though some reports
and publications suggested the presence