Fishing Cat
The wetland cat of the Sundarbans — shy, spotted, and tied to marsh edges and fish prey.
Last updated
Prionailurus viverrinus · IUCN Vulnerable
Prionailurus viverrinus is built for wet ground. Webbed toes, a dense coat, and patience for fish make it the delta’s specialist cat — overshadowed by the tiger in marketing, but central to reserve mammal lists and village stories.
Habitat
Fishing cats use marsh, pond edges, and mangrove fringe where prey is shallow. Tourism boats stay on main channels; cats hunt at dawn and dusk in quieter margins. STR publications feature them in fauna chapters as part of the delta’s endemic character — not as a checklist animal like chital.
Threats
Wetland drainage, fish-pond conversion, and conflict around poultry cost cats across South Asia. In the Sundarbans, habitat integrity and legal protection matter more than staged “cat safaris.”
If you are lucky
A stocky spotted cat on a mud bank is not an invitation to land. Photograph from the boat if the guide allows engine idle. Report harassment of cats to forest staff if you see it.
Frequently asked questions
- Can tourists see fishing cats in the Sundarbans?
- Rarely on standard tower routes. Camera traps and night surveys record them more often than day boats do. Buffer villages and fish ponds near Jharkhali and Pakhiralay are among the habitats researchers mention — always view from a distance and never disturb nets or traps.
- How is a fishing cat different from a tiger?
- Fishing cats are much smaller — roughly twice a house cat — with spotted coat and a face adapted for marsh hunting. They are not a threat to humans on boats but are legally protected wildlife.