Guwahati: A collaborative effort by the Assam Forest Department officials, conservationists from Aaranyak, a leading regional conservation organization, and other Indian conservationists has confirmed the presence of the elusive Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) in Assam’s Manas National Park.
While a direct sighting in 2007 suggested the cat’s presence, eight years of intensive camera trapping (39,700 trap-days) between 2011 and 2018 yielded no evidence.
“Nevertheless, two photographic captures of the species were made in December 2019 and January 2021, following the camera trapping efforts of Assam Forest Department, Aaranyak and Panthera reconfirming its presence in the park following the end of the ethnopolitical conflict in Manas National Park,” says Dr M Firoz Ahmed, one of the lead authors of the research paper published in the summer 2024 edition of ‘CATNews’ of the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group.
The IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group is one of the five components of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN.
Dr. M. Firoz Ahmed and Dr. Dipankar Lahkar from Aaranyak, along with conservationists Amal Chandra Sarmah, Dr. Ramie H. Begum, Aprajita Singh, Nibir Medhi, Nitul Kalita, Sunit Kumar Das, and Dr. Abishek Harihar, contributed to the research.
The Asiatic golden cat is a medium-sized wild cat found across Northeast India, Southeast Asia, and southern China. Listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List, the species is protected under Scheduled-I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Adaptable to a variety of habitats, the golden cat thrives in dry deciduous forests, subtropical evergreen forests, tropical rainforests, and even temperate and sub-alpine forests. It can be found at elevations ranging from sea level to a staggering 3,738 meters.
In Northeast India, the golden cat’s presence has been confirmed in several protected areas, including Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (Sikkim), Buxa Tiger Reserve (West Bengal), Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary (Meghalaya), Dampha Tiger Reserve (Mizoram), Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Kamlang Tiger Reserve, Debang valley, Pakke Tiger Reserve, Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Singchung-BugunVCR and Talle-Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh), and Intanki National Park (Nagaland).
It’s also found in various protected areas of Bhutan.
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The rediscovery of the golden cat in Manas National Park offers hope for its long-term survival in the region. However, continued conservation efforts are crucial to ensure the safety of this fascinating and ecologically significant feline.
