Rare Asiatic Golden Cat Spotted in Assam’s Manas National Park After Decade Absence

Guwahati: Conservationists are celebrating a rare sighting of the Asiatic golden cat in Assam’s Manas National Park, the first recorded instance of this elusive feline in over a decade. This remarkable discovery emphasizes the park’s rich biodiversity and the importance of continued conservation initiatives.The Asiatic golden cat was photographed using camera traps in December 2019 and January 2021, concluding an extensive monitoring effort that spanned nearly eight years and involved around 40,000 trap days from 2011 to 2018 without any success. The findings were documented in the summer 2024 edition of ‘CATNews,’ published by the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group, representing the first confirmed evidence of the species in Manas since a direct sighting in 2007.Dr. M. Firoz Ahmed, the lead author of the research paper, remarked, “These photographic captures reconfirm the cat’s presence in the park.” The research was a collaborative effort between the Assam Forest Department, the Aaranyak Conservation Organisation, and Panthera.Classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN, the Asiatic golden cat inhabits a range of environments, from sea level to altitudes of 3,738 meters. It is protected under India’s Wildlife Protection Act and is distributed across northeastern India, Southeast Asia, and southern China.In Northeast India, this species has been observed in various protected areas, including tiger reserves in Arunachal Pradesh and wildlife sanctuaries in Meghalaya. The cat is also present in Bhutan’s protected regions, further underscoring the need for concerted conservation efforts to ensure its survival in the wild.