How Assam’s Kaziranga National Park became a stronghold for the vulnerable fishing cats

Declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006, it also shelters a robust community of Bengal tigers, swamp deer, elephants and Asiatic wild buffaloes, making it one of the most densely populated wildlife havens on the planet. The park’s dynamic floodplain ecosystem, nurtured by annual floods that replenish the soil and create a patchwork of beels (wetlands) and grasslands, supports this extraordinary array of life, turning what could be a seasonal deluge into a cradle of abundance.

According to a new scientific assessment, Kaziranga is also one of India’s most important freshwater refuges for the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), a wetland predator listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act.

The first structured survey of the species inside Kaziranga has identified 57 unique individuals, called meseka in Assamese, across more than 450 sq km of the Tiger Reserve. The study, conducted by the Tiger Cell of Kaziranga in collaboration with the Fishing Cat Project, analysed camera-trap bycatch data collected during past All India Tiger Estimation exercises. The report was released on February 22, commemorated as Fishing Cat Day, alongside outreach events involving local communities, students and conservation experts.

A ghost in the wild

It’s worth noting the global population of fishing cats has plummeted by about 30% in recent decades due to rampant habitat destruction. Wetlands, the cat’s lifeline, are vanishing at an alarming rate: over 50% of Asia’s have been lost to agriculture, urbanisation, and pollution. Poaching for fur, bushmeat, and perceived threats to livestock adds to the toll, with indiscriminate snaring and poisoning claiming lives in rural areas. In places like Vietnam and Java, the species is feared extinct, and across its range, human-wildlife conflict continues unabated as communities encroach on fragile habitats. South Asia now holds its global core population.

Conservation efforts, including CITES Appendix II protection and national laws in range countries, have struggled to stem the decline, but community-led initiatives are gaining ground, focusing on habitat restoration like mangrove replanting and anti-poaching patrols. As an apex predator in its niche, the fishing cat’s presence signals a balanced ecosystem, where clean water and abundant prey sustain a web of life from insects to larger mammals.

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With partially webbed paws, a stocky build, dense water-resistant fur, and a short, muscular tail that acts like a rudder, the fishing cat — the medium-sized wild felid often overlooked in the shadow of its larger cousins — is uniquely adapted for life in water. It dives headfirst into streams and marshes to scoop fish, crabs, and even snakes from shallow waters.

Unlike most cats that turn up their noses at getting wet, this one revels in it, swimming long distances and even submerging completely to ambush meals. Adults can weigh up to 14 kilograms, with a coat of olive-gray fur marked by dark spots and stripes that provide perfect camouflage in the dappled light of reed beds. Its secretive, nocturnal habits make it a ghost in the wild; rarely seen, it’s vital as an indicator species for healthy wetland ecosystems.

Number 57 is likely an undercount

“Our findings position Kaziranga as a vital ‘ark’ for this wetland specialist in the Brahmaputra floodplains,” said Sonali Ghosh, Director of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. Tiasa Adhya, who co-founded the Fishing Cat Project with Partha Dey in 2010, said, “The study establishes a baseline for monitoring floodplain dynamics, where flood changes could alter beels and marshes. The presence of Fishing Cats in large numbers indicates it to be an ecological sentinel for Kaziranga.” Its floodplain ecosystem, the study notes, is a vast, still-dynamic segment of the Brahmaputra Valley where “wetlands are being re-created periodically by the river itself.”

The park scripted a success story with rhinos, having pulled them back from the brink through rigorous anti-poaching measures. As for the fishing cats, the annual floods that once threatened infrastructure have been harnessed as a natural ally, creating ideal habitats where they can breed and hunt undisturbed. However, challenges remain: climate change could alter flood patterns, while surrounding human pressures demand ongoing vigilance. Bank erosion, sediment deposition and the constant formation and disappearance of waterbodies create the shallow marshes and wet grasslands the species depends on. Wet alluvial grasslands cover nearly two-thirds of the park, maintained by annual floods and controlled burning, with beels and woodland patches interspersed through them.

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Fishing cats have long appeared in tiger camera traps, but until now, those images have remained incidental records. The new assessment used single-season occupancy modelling to analyse detections across 856 grid cells, each measuring 2 km by 2 km. Researchers set out to answer two basic questions: Are fishing cats rare or common in Kaziranga? And how many individuals can be confidently identified from available data? The result — 57 unique individuals — is likely an undercount. Camera grids were designed for tigers, not smaller carnivores. Detection probability for fishing cats remains low, meaning animals can be present without being photographed. Even so, the number suggests a widely distributed and reproducing population across the floodplains.

A reference point for future monitoring

Nationally, fishing cat populations are closely tied to lowland river basins and estuarine systems. Recent IUCN Red List assessments estimate approximately 385 individuals in the Sundarban Tiger Reserve, around 341 in Odisha’s Chilika Lagoon, and 83-115 in Bhitarkanika. In freshwater landscapes, numbers are typically smaller: 35-51 in Dudhwa-Kishanpur, 14-17 in Pilibhit, and 6-7 in Valmiki Tiger Reserve. With 57 individuals documented in 2026, Kaziranga now emerges as one of the more significant freshwater strongholds for the species in India. Spatial predictions across 856 grids indicate widespread but generally low-to-moderate occupancy, with higher-probability clusters in wetland-dominated zones.

The researchers documented 12 recaptures across 25 sites, with some individuals moving more than 20 km between detections. Such distances indicate that fishing cats use multiple wetland patches across the landscape. In a park shaped by seasonal flooding, mobility is critical. During high floods, animals seek elevated ground or woodland refuges before returning to marshes and beels as waters recede. The modelling approach separated detection probability from occupancy probability, an important distinction for elusive species. This prevents underestimating the presence in areas where camera traps fail to capture images.

Outside protected areas, Brahmaputra floodplains face mounting pressures from embankments, sand mining, infrastructure expansion and altered river dynamics. Climate variability is influencing flood intensity and duration. “Tracking wetland carnivores like the fishing cat is essential amid climate change and river modifications that impact freshwater biodiversity,” said Ian Harrison, Co-Chair of the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee. The presence of fishing cats means the wetlands are largely intact. Their presence in significant numbers suggests that Kaziranga’s marshes and beels remain productive.

But any long-term changes in hydrology could alter habitat suitability. By establishing a baseline distribution map in 2026, the study creates a reference point for future monitoring. As river management and flood control debates intensify across Assam, the assessment highlights a broader ecological reality: floodplains sustain species that depend directly on healthy wetlands. The future of Kaziranga’s cats that fish will depend on how long those wetlands survive.