Rusty-Spotted Cat in Vidarbha: India's Smallest Wild Cat Under Threat

thenewsdirt
5 days ago
5 min read

In the forests of Vidarbha, away from the dominant narratives of large carnivores, an exceptionally small predator continues to move through the undergrowth. It remains largely out of public attention, despite being part of a region’s complex ecological network.

The rusty-spotted cat, Prionailurus rubiginosus, is the smallest wild cat species in the world. With India accounting for nearly 80 percent of its global population, its presence in Vidarbha adds significant value to the region’s wildlife profile.

Confirmed sightings in Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary and Pench Tiger Reserve have placed Vidarbha on the map for researchers studying this elusive species.

Despite its wide distribution in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, it remains understudied due to its nocturnal nature and small size.

Conservationists find it difficult to collect consistent data, which limits the scope of scientific knowledge and hinders planning efforts.

The cat is listed as “Near Threatened” by the IUCN and is protected under Appendices I and II of CITES.

In Sri Lanka, it is classified as “Endangered” in the national red list. This status highlights the importance of conservation work in India, and Vidarbha in particular, given the high proportion of the population residing in the country.

Physical Traits and Survival Behaviour

The rusty-spotted cat weighs between 0.8 and 1.6 kilograms and is roughly half the size of a domestic cat. Its body measures between 35 to 48 centimetres, with a tail length of 15 to 25 centimetres.

Its most recognisable feature is its fawn-grey coat with rusty-coloured spots along the back and flanks.

The head is rounded, the eyes large, and two white streaks run down the inner edges of the eyes, with two dark lines on each cheek. Four narrow stripes begin above the eyes and continue toward the neck. Its underbelly is white with small spots and bars.

This species is known for its agility and high activity levels, especially at night. It rests in dense vegetation during the day and becomes active after dusk. It hunts birds, small mammals, lizards, frogs, and possibly insects.

Its climbing abilities allow it to escape predators, and it displays a fierce temperament despite its size. While it can live up to 18 years in captivity, little is known about its natural lifespan or reproductive behaviour in the wild.

Much of its activity remains undocumented, largely because it is rarely observed in the open. Experts have identified large gaps in knowledge, and ongoing studies have not yet provided baseline population estimates.

Vidarbha’s Role in the Species’ Habitat

Vidarbha has emerged as an important habitat for the rusty-spotted cat.

The Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Bhandara district, was the first confirmed location in Central India for the species.

Pench Tiger Reserve, which extends across parts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, has also reported its presence.

While Pench is primarily associated with larger species like tigers, its ecosystem supports a range of smaller carnivores, including this cat.

Preferred habitats include dry deciduous and semi-deciduous forests, tropical thorn forests, grasslands, and scrublands.

These are common in Vidarbha and offer favourable conditions for the species. Outside of protected forests, sightings in agricultural landscapes elsewhere in Maharashtra suggest some degree of adaptability to human-altered environments. Whether this behaviour occurs in Vidarbha remains unknown due to a lack of targeted research.

The presence of the species in protected areas offers indirect benefits such as access to undisturbed forest cover and minimal human conflict.

However, experts have noted that conservation in such areas is usually centred around flagship species like tigers, which may result in less attention to smaller animals. Despite being inside protected zones, small wild cats often do not receive species-specific monitoring or intervention.

Gaps in Research and Conservation Efforts

India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has initiated a national-level programme to study small cat species, including the rusty-spotted cat.

This includes the use of camera traps, GPS mapping, scat analysis, and telemetry. While the programme is not specifically focused on Vidarbha, the data gathered may eventually contribute to a better understanding of the species in the region.

Maharashtra has also made limited progress in rescue and rehabilitation. In January 2023, two kittens were rescued from Satara and placed in a breeding facility.

Major threats in Vidarbha include habitat destruction, forest fragmentation, and human conflict.

In rural areas, the rusty-spotted cat has occasionally been mistaken for a baby leopard and killed.

The species is also affected by a lack of dedicated study, which prevents the formation of strong protection measures.

Shomita Mukherjee of the IUCN cat specialist group has stated that the rusty-spotted cat is difficult to study, with very limited data collected even after years of research. Experts believe that the current tiger-focused approach to wildlife conservation does not accommodate the needs of smaller predators. Without adequate attention, these species remain overlooked in both planning and policy.

Conservation in Vidarbha will require deeper local engagement and region-specific research.

Forest corridors, preservation of habitat patches, and public awareness will be essential. While these strategies are widely discussed, their implementation for this particular species in Vidarbha has yet to begin in a structured manner.

The rusty-spotted cat occupies a distinct ecological space in Vidarbha. Its confirmed presence in sanctuaries like Nagzira and Pench highlights the biological diversity of the region beyond well-known large carnivores.

As a miniature predator with rare sightings, it draws attention to the need for conservation practices that go beyond single-species models.

Vidarbha, with its varied landscapes and protected forest zones, has the potential to become a key area for long-term study of this cat. But that possibility depends on recognising its significance and integrating its needs into existing frameworks.

The survival of the rusty-spotted cat in this region is not just a matter of protecting a species, it is about acknowledging all contributors to ecological balance, no matter how small or unseen they may be.