Fishing Cat in the Western Ghats, India
In the late 19th century, the English naturalist William Thomas Blanford maintained that Fishing Cats occur in the Western Ghats between Mangalore and Cape Comorin (Blanford 1888–91).
In 1948, the British naturalist Stanley Henry Prater stated that "nothing is known about the breeding habits of this cat. A single kitten was taken in Cannanore [today: Kannur District] in June from a lair in a beaten down patch among reeds with tunneled approaches from either side." (Prater 1948).
On 6 August 2011, Dr. Jafer Palot from the Western Ghat Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India wrote:
All the recent records of Fishing Cat sightings were from the coastal mangrove areas of north Kerala. In the early 1990s, one specimen was on display at the Parassinikadavu Snake Park of Kannur District, which had been collected from a well near the park and died in 1993. I had observed a full grown cat at Chemballikundu Mangroves in Kannur District in February 1995. In the same locality Sri. P.C. Rajeevan, a bird watcher, observed one animal crossing the Ramapuram River in January 2009. There was an unconfirmed report of a Fishing Cat from Kumarakom Mangroves of Kottayam District in February 2011. The Fishing Cat is also listed in the faunal list of Periyar Tiger Reserve, Idukki District, Kerala.
In the following map, the 
anted markers show areas thought to have Fishing Cats. For further information about individual locations : click on the marker to zoom in.
References
- Blanford, W. T. 1888–91. Felis viverrina. The Fishing Cat. In: The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia. Taylor and Francis, London. Pp. 76–77.
- Prater, S. H. 1948. The Book of Indian Animals. Bombay Natural History Society. Page 75.
Text and map compiled by Angie Appel, 6 August 2011 with kind support by Dr. Jafer Palot
Suggested citation:
Appel, A. 2011. Fishing Cat in the Western Ghats, India. Fishing Cat Working Group.