When small cats make big headlines! ??

Picture the scene: the air is still, the shrubs rustle, and suddenly, an elusive creature emerges gracefully from the shrubs. Its soft, sandy-grey spotted pelt, adorned with dark bands on its fore and hind legs, catches the sunlight as it swiftly dashes over in the blink of an eye. The cat seamlessly disappears into its den, leaving an indelible mark on your young mind.

This is what researcher Dr. Sumit Dookia experienced when he was nine years old. Dookia spotted the Indian desert cat (Asiatic wildcat) at his maternal grandparent’s place in Khunkhuna, a village in the Nagaur district of Rajasthan.Later on, Dookia went on to pursue a career in zoology.

During his doctoral thesis on the Indian gazelle, he realised that the sightings of the Asiatic wildcat have gone down since his childhood. This motivated him to embark on landscape-level studies on the species, seeking a deeper understanding of their habitat preferences and ecological relationships.

The Indian desert cat is one of the lesser-known cats in India. Small wild cats play a vital role in sustaining our ecosystem, serving as mesopredators that contribute to the regulation of small mammal populations in the wild.

Despite their significant role in the natural food web, these lesser-known wild felids are encountering rapid habitat loss and various other survival challenges.

“These small cats are so elusive that they are sighted rarely. They are also very sensitive about their habitat. Even micro changes in their habitat disturb them very much. This is the major reason why these animals are so elusive. So, if their habitat is affected, we will know that it will have an impact on their population as well."? Ivy Farheen Hussain, Project Officer, Aaranyak

Aaranyak, a non-governmental organization, works on biodiversity conservation in northeast India. Recently, the region has seen an uptick in the wildlife trade of smaller felid species such as the Asiatic golden cat, marbled cat, and leopard cat, among others.Poachers are targeting these species mainly since trade in the parts of big cats such as tigers, leopards, and snow leopards has become more challenging due to increased international regulatory policies.

Getting to know India's lesser-known cats?

To shed light on such important, but as yet unknown issues and the available research about the conservation of small cats in India, Mongabay-India ran a series of about 20 stories, in two languages and using multiple formats. From Ladakh to Rajasthan to Assam, our reportage spanned across various landscapes.

“We wanted to cover as many species as possible. We identified lesser-known species, among the small cats found in India, and have a tiny habitat because those species need more research and attention.There was a new learning at every step of this project. The most exciting part was looking for researchers and studies as these studies are not found easily like studies on other wildlife." Shailesh Shrivastava , Senior Editor, Mongabay-India

Another exciting part was searching for differences among these species, as some appear very similar. Yet, their threats are different, explains Shailesh Shrivastava , who led the project for Mongabay-India.

"I tried to do stories from the point of conservation first to showcase efforts that our country is putting in to save these species but it wasn't always possible as the challenges were (and are) far greater...But after talking to experts, and finding out about the new conservation efforts India is planning to undertake with UNDP, I felt hopeful."? Shuchita Jha, Contributing Writer

To understand these feline species better, Shuchita Jha spoke with researchers and conservationists like Shomita Mukherjee , Sumit Dookia, Y V Jhala and Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj , who have gone out of their way to document these cats.?

As caracals inch towards extinction, path to conserving the wild cat remains unclear

Pallas’s cat’s sightings become more common in Ladakh

Clouded leopards develop ways to survive competition

Learn more about lesser known?cats of India and their role in preserving the ecosystem?here !?

In the next edition of Mongabay-India Specials we take a walk through India's mangrove ecosystems to understand the challenges faced by them?and role of communities in their conservation.

Thank you, Saumitra Shinde Social-Media Coordinator, Mongabay-India

PS:?Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions to [email protected], and don't forget to share this edition of Mongabay-India Specials with your friends, family — and that neighbour who is interested in our planet!?