Jungle cats (Felis chaus)
Why in News?
A recent study published on March 29, 2026, emphasizes that jungle cats (Felis chaus) require habitats outside protected areas, such as agricultural landscapes, for survival amid ongoing threats like habitat loss.
Key Facts
- Scientific name: Felis chaus; also known as reed cat or swamp cat.
- Medium-sized wild cat, body length 60-75 cm, tail about 1/3 of body length (short with dark rings and black tip).
- Coat: Sandy/reddish-brown to tawny grey, uniform without spots (except faint leg markings); darker denser winter fur; melanistic forms in some areas.
- Solitary except mating season/mother-kitten groups; territorial via urine/scent marking; nocturnal/crepuscular.
Habitat and Distribution
- Widespread across Middle East, Central/South/Southeast Asia (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, up to SW China); large populations in India.
- Prefers wetlands, swamps, reed beds, grasslands, scrub, riparian zones; adapts to agriculture, plantations, semi-deserts; up to 2500m elevation, common in lowlands.
- In India: Most widespread small cat, favours semi-arid areas with moderate vegetation/human disturbance; avoids dense forests/highly urbanized zones.
Diet and Behaviour
- Carnivorous/omnivorous: Primarily rodents (up to 70-95% diet), birds, hares, lizards, snakes, frogs, fish, insects; occasionally larger prey like piglets, fruit in winter.
- Skilled swimmer, climber, stalker; hunts by sprint/leap, uses ears to locate prey.
- Agile in diverse terrains; often near water/canals.
Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List: Least Concern globally, but populations declining due to threats.
- India: Schedule II under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 (protected, no hunting/trade); Appendix II CITES.
- Regional variations: Critically Endangered in Jordan; Near Threatened in Bangladesh.
Threats
- Habitat destruction/fragmentation (wetlands, agriculture expansion, infrastructure); poaching for fur/parts; human-wildlife conflict/retaliatory killings; road mortality; disease from dogs; hybridization with domestic cats.
- Understudied compared to larger cats; illegal trade common despite protections.
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