First photographic evidence of Asian Golden Cat Catopuma temminckii (Vigors and Horsfield, 1827) from Neora valley National Park, Central Himalayas, India

Abstract

The Asiatic golden cat Catopuma temminckii also known as the Temminck’s cat is a medium-sized wild cat distributed throughout South Asia. Asian Golden Cat is currently listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List, and also listed in the Appendix I by CITES and Scheduled I in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 as the current population has been found to be declining due to habitat loss and poaching. It is a shy and elusive mammal, and very little information is available on its range, habitat and behaviour. The present study was conducted during the month of February and March 2017 as part of the Biodiversity assessment in the Indian Himalayan landscape through long-term monitoring protocol under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies, funded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India. During the fieldwork in Neora Valley National Park, camera traps were deployed to record presence of mammals and ground birds. An Asian Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii Vigors and Horsfield, 1827) was photo-captured in a single camera trap deployed in a trail in Thosum Beat of the Neora Valley National Park. The camera trap photograph confirmed the Asiatic Golden cat, presence in the National Park, and therefore, a long-term study in its probable habitats in South Asia may reveal its distribution, population status and ecology which will help towards long-term conservation of this species.