Fishing Cat Facts

Big Cat Facts

Jan 6

Written By Carole Baskin

Quick Facts

Scientific Name: Prionailurus viverrinus
Common Names: Fishing Cat, Baghrol (Bengali), Malaha biralo (Nepali), Hadun diviya (Sinhala), Kla trey (Khmer)
Conservation Status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List); Appendix II (CITES)
Population Trend: Decreasing
Estimated Global Population: 3,194–7,527 mature individuals
Life Span: 10–12 years

Appearance

The fishing cat is a medium-sized felid, significantly larger and more robust than a typical house cat. They generally weigh between 5 and 16 kg, with males being noticeably larger than females. Their coat is a distinctive earthy grayish-brown, covered in a pattern of dark longitudinal stripes on the head and neck, which transition into rows of solid black spots along the body. They possess a stocky build with relatively short legs and a short, thick tail that is roughly one-third the length of their body. Their heads are broad with small, rounded ears that feature white spots on the back, and their paws are slightly webbed, which aids in their specialized aquatic lifestyle.

Habitat and Range

Fishing cats are wetland specialists. They are found in diverse watery environments, including mangrove forests, freshwater swamps, tidal creeks, oxbow lakes, reed beds, and tall grasslands surrounding rivers. While they were once widespread across South and Southeast Asia, their current distribution is highly fragmented and discontinuous.

Their range currently extends from southern Pakistan through northern India, southern Nepal, and Bangladesh, reaching into Myanmar, southern Thailand, and western Cambodia. Interestingly, they have a broad altitudinal range, occurring from sea level in coastal mangroves to elevations as high as 2,277 meters (nearly 7,500 feet) in the Horton Plains of Sri Lanka. While they once inhabited Vietnam and the island of Java in Indonesia, they have not been authenticated in those regions since the early 2000s and are now considered possibly extinct there.

Diet and Behavior

Unlike most members of the cat family, fishing cats are well-adapted to water and are skilled swimmers. They are primarily nocturnal and solitary hunters. While their name suggests a diet exclusively of fish, they are actually generalist predators. Recent scientific studies using DNA analysis reveal that while fish make up about 70% of their diet, they also frequently hunt small mammals—particularly rodents—which account for over 60% of their dietary occurrences in some regions.

Their hunting techniques are versatile; they can dive into the water to catch fish or scoop them onto land using their paws. Their broad diet also includes crabs, mollusks, snakes, frogs, and various bird species. In landscapes shared with humans, fishing cats are highly adaptable, often foraging in agricultural fields and commercial fish ponds. Unfortunately, this proximity to humans means their diet frequently includes domestic livestock, such as goats, sheep, and poultry.

Reproduction

Information on fishing cats in the wild remains limited, but they are known to be solitary except during the breeding season. Mating typically occurs in the winter months, specifically January and February. After a gestation period of approximately 63 to 70 days, females give birth to a litter of one to three kittens.

The kittens are relatively small at birth, weighing between 3.5 and 6 ounces. They begin to take meat at around 53 days of age and are typically weaned by four to six months. Young fishing cats reach adult size at roughly eight to nine months and become independent around the age of ten months. They reach sexual maturity at approximately 18 months.

Threats

The survival of the fishing cat is under severe pressure due to several escalating threats:

Habitat Loss and Fragmentation: The expansion of industrial aquaculture, intensive agriculture, and urban infrastructure continues to destroy the wetlands fishing cats depend on. In Asia, more than half of all wetlands are currently threatened.
Retaliatory Killings: Because fishing cats often prey on farmed fish and small livestock like goats and chickens, they are frequently killed by farmers in retaliation for economic losses.
Guard Dog Attacks: In many regions, the use of guard dogs to protect fish ponds and livestock has led to increasing mortality, as these dogs frequently attack and kill fishing cats.
Linear Infrastructure: The construction of roads and railways through natural habitats has resulted in a high number of roadkills, particularly in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
Pollution: The use of chemicals in aquaculture and the discharge of untreated sewage into wetlands pollute the food chain, impacting the health of fishing cat populations.
Poaching: While not always the primary target, fishing cats are often caught in indiscriminate snares or hunted opportunistically for their meat and skin.

Conservation Efforts

Conservation strategies for the fishing cat are now shifting toward community-based models that promote coexistence. The Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance (FCCA) oversees projects in eight range countries, focusing on habitat restoration, such as replanting mangrove forests, and implementing threat mitigation strategies.

Innovative programs like "Fish Banks" and "Goat Banks" have been established to provide hatchlings or livestock to farmers as compensation for losses, reducing the motivation for retaliatory killings. Additionally, conservationists are distributing predator-proof chicken coops and installing solar-powered fences around aquaculture ponds to secure livelihoods and protect the cats.

Big Cat Rescue has been a proud supporter of these essential efforts. Funding provided by Big Cat Rescue has been instrumental in supporting orientation and training for outreach volunteers in Nepal through the Wild Cats Series. These programs empower students and local citizens to become conservation leaders in their own communities. Furthermore, Big Cat Rescue has contributed to the development of critical educational materials and posters used to raise awareness across the fishing cat's range and has provided funding for specialized small cat rehabilitation centers in Sri Lanka.

By combining scientific research, such as GPS satellite collaring and DNA diet analysis, with community education, conservationists hope to ensure a future where these unique, water-loving cats can thrive alongside human neighbors.