Threatened species of Prionailurus viverrinus
Name(s):
Threatened species of Fishing cat
Nature
Wetland destruction is the primary threat facing the fishing cat. Severely threatened sites include the estuaries of the Karnataka coast (south-western India) and the deltas of the Irrawaddy, Indus, Mekong and Red rivers. The fur trade has threatened this cat. Large number of furs are required because of intricate matching needed for each garment.
Background
Fishing cats are strongly associated with wetlands. They are typically found in swamps and marshy areas, oxbow lakes, reed beds, tidal creeks and mangrove areas. They are more scarce around smaller, fast-moving watercourses. Fishing cats are widely distributed through a variety of habitat types, their occurrence tends to be highly localized.
Incidence
Along India's thickly-populated south-western coast and in the Indus river basin in Pakistan, fishing cats are probably on the verge of extinction.
[Prionailurus viverrinus] is considered as "Lower Risk" sub-category "near threatened by the IUCN. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 2".
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(S) Suspect problems