Jungle Cat Research Articles

Scanning electron microscopy based identification of ectoparasitic insects infesting zoo-housed jungle cats and pigeons of North India

The ectoparasites have dual adverse action against their hosts as infesting agents and as vectors of various disease entities. These ectoparasites invade domesticated and wild animals and birds either in natural habitat or in captivity. The present study is an effort to identify and confirm fleas and lice recovered from jungle cat (Felis chaus) and pigeon (Columba livia), which were delineated as Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) and Afrimenopon waar (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae), respectively, based on gross morphological studies using scanning electron microscopy. The present study thus projected the first report of morphological identification and confirmation of ectoparasites invading the captive wild animals and birds of a zoological garden in India. Also, the present study puts forward new host species for the ectoparasites i.e. jungle cat for Ctenocephlides felis felis and pigeon for Afrimenopon waar from India.

New data on the status of the jungle cat (Felis chaus Schreber, 1777) in Azerbaijan

The article presents new data on the status of the jungle cat (Felis chaus) in Azerbaijan, a species from the Red Data Book of Azerbaijan.

Population Estimate, Habitat-Use and Activity Patterns of the Honey Badger in a Dry-Deciduous Forest of Central India

Studies on carnivores are skewed toward larger species in India, limiting ecological information of the smaller ones. Basic ecological understanding like population density, distribution, habitat-use patterns of small carnivores is lacking. This inadequate knowledge has led to disagreement between conservation approaches in different landscapes. Honey badgers (Mellivora capensis) are cryptic carnivores distributed across large areas of Africa and Asia; however, fundamental ecological knowledge is scarce. The species is thought to exist at low population densities throughout its range. We used a large camera trap dataset from a tiger reserve in Maharashtra State, India to understand the population density, habitat preference, and diel activity pattern of the species. We applied an extension of the spatial count model for the estimation of population. Habitat preference analyses were carried out using generalized linear models and activity patterns were analyzed using kernel-density functions. The population density was estimated as 14.09 (95% CI 10–22.25) individuals per 100 km2. Habitat use revealed a positive association with forest cover and negative association with elevation. This may expose the species to other large carnivores in the habitat but honey badger activity pattern peaked at midnight retaining minimum temporal overlap with other large carnivores (e.g., tiger Panthera tigris, leopard Panthera pardus, and dhole Cuon alpinus) and moderate overlap with small carnivores (e.g., jungle cat Felis chaus, rusty-spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus). These behaviors, in turn, may facilitate the coexistence of species at such high density even with high carnivore density. We hope the findings of this study will fill the existing knowledge gap of this species and aid in guiding the conservation of the species in other landscapes and reserves.

Estimation of faecal fat content of jungle cat (Felis chaus), fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) and gray langur (Semnopithecus sp.), and its comparative variations with respect to their captive and wild habitat

Estimation of faecal fat content of jungle cat (Felis chaus), fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) and gray langur (Semnopithecus sp.), and its comparative variations with respect to their captive and wild habitat

Multi-scale habitat selection and impacts of climate change on the distribution of four sympatric meso-carnivores using random forest algorithm

BackgroundThe habitat resources are structured across different spatial scales in the environment, and thus animals perceive and select habitat resources at different spatial scales. Failure to adopt the scale-dependent framework in species habitat relationships may lead to biased inferences. Multi-scale species distribution models (SDMs) can thus improve the predictive ability as compared to single-scale approaches. This study outlines the importance of multi-scale modeling in assessing the species habitat relationships and may provide a methodological framework using a robust algorithm to model and predict habitat suitability maps (HSMs) for similar multi-species and multi-scale studies.ResultsWe used a supervised machine learning algorithm, random forest (RF), to assess the habitat relationships of Asiatic wildcat (Felis lybica ornata), jungle cat (Felis chaus), Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis), and golden-jackal (Canis aureus) at ten spatial scales (500–5000 m) in human-dominated landscapes. We calculated out-of-bag (OOB) error rates of each predictor variable across ten scales to select the most influential spatial scale variables. The scale optimization (OOB rates) indicated that model performance was associated with variables at multiple spatial scales. The species occurrence tended to be related strongest to predictor variables at broader scales (5000 m). Multivariate RF models indicated landscape composition to be strong predictors of the Asiatic wildcat, jungle cat, and Indian fox occurrences. At the same time, topographic and climatic variables were the most important predictors determining the golden jackal distribution. Our models predicted range expansion in all four species under future climatic scenarios.ConclusionsOur results highlight the importance of using multiscale distribution models when predicting the distribution and species habitat relationships. The wide adaptability of meso-carnivores allows them to persist in human-dominated regions and may even thrive in disturbed habitats. These meso-carnivores are among the few species that may benefit from climate change.

Ethno-medicinal uses of vertebrates in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape, central Nepal.

Traditional knowledge on the use of animal products to maintain human health is important since time immemorial. Although a few studies reported food and medicinal values of different animals, a comprehensive ethno-medicinal study of vertebrates in Nepal is still lacking. Thus, present study is aimed at documenting the ethno-medicinal knowledge related to vertebrate fauna among different ethnic communities in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape, central Nepal. Data was collected by using semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed by using Use Value (UV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Fidelity level (FL). Results showed a total of 58 (53 wild and 5 domestic) species of vertebrate animals. They were used to treat 62 types human ailments. Four animals were also used for veterinary diseases and agriculture benefits. The most widely used species was Felis chaus (UV = 0.25) with 3 use-reports by 10 informants. Cardiovascular and dental problems had the highest ICF value (0.974) with cardiovascular problems having 351 use-reports for 10 animal species and dental problems having 77 use-reports for 3 animal species. The least ICF was found in ophthalmological problems (ICF = 0.833, use reports = 7 for 2 species). We concluded that the different animals were an important part of traditional medicine for the local people living in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape. However, the majority of animals and most likely to be threatened due to their uses. The present documented ethnozoological knowledge can be used in conservation and management of vertebrates so that they could be protected for future generations.

Closely related species show species-specific environmental responses and different spatial conservation needs: Prionailurus cats in the Indian subcontinent

Phylogenetically closely related species are often assumed to have similar responses to environmental conditions, but species-specific responses have also been described. These two scenarios may have different conservation implications. We tested these two hypotheses for Prionailurus cats (P. rubiginosus, P. bengalensis, P. viverrinus) in the Indian subcontinent and show its implications on species current protected area coverage and climatic suitability trends through time. We fitted ecological niche models with current environmental conditions and calculated niche overlap. In addition, we developed a model for the Jungle Cat Felis chaus to compare species responses and niche overlap estimates within Prionailurus with those for a related sympatric small cat species. Then we estimated the proportion of current suitable environment covered by protected area and projected climatic models from past (last interglacial) to future (2070; RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) conditions to show implications on population management and conservation. The hypothesis of a similar response and niche overlap among closely related species is not supported. Protected area coverage was lowest for P. viverrinus (mean = 0.071, SD = 0.012) and highest for P. bengalensis (mean = 0.088, SD = 0.006). In addition, the proportion of the subcontinent with suitable climate varied through time and was species-specific. For P. bengalensis, climatic suitability shrunk since at least the mid-Holocene, a trend that can be intensified by human-induced climate warming. Concerning P. viverrinus, most predictions show stable future climatic suitability, but a few indicated potential loss. Climatic suitability for P. rubiginous was predicted to remain stable but the species exhibited a negative association with intensive agriculture. Similar responses to environmental change by phylogenetically closely related species should not be assumed and have implications on protected area coverage and natural trends of species climatic suitability over time. This should be taken into account during conservation and management actions.

Simulating the state of jungle cat (Felis chaus Schreber, 1777) using cross-impact analysis in Sistan, Iran

Systems thinking and attention to the relationships between a system’s variables on all spatial and temporal scales is an effective strategy in biological conservation and wildlife management. This study presents a case in a sensitive ecosystem to show how the future state of the jungle cat as an umbrella species depends on local, national, and international components. To this aim, all variables affecting the state of jungle cat were identified by an expert panel. Cross-impact analysis was applied to the identified variables in two stages using MICMAC, followed by Kane’s simulation (KSIM). The MICMAC method was used to detect the most important variables (i.e., variables with more influence and less dependency), and forecasting the future state of jungle cat was implemented by KSIM on variables screened by MICMAC. MICMAC showed that among the 22 identified variables, climate change, increased construction of dams in Afghanistan, water scarcity, and decline of agricultural lands under cultivation were the most important variables for management of jungle cat. KSIM showed declining trends for all variables in the future. Therefore, the predicted decreasing trend will continue as long as management remains unchanged on the local, national, and international scales.

Spatio-Temporal Association of Fishing Cats with the Mammalian Assemblages in the East Godavari Mangrove Delta, India

Extrapolation of spatio-temporal association in the guild of vulnerable wetland species like the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus Bennet, 1833) can inform strategies for conservation action. Camera trap study was conducted at Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (CWLS) and the adjoined mangroves located in the East Godavari River Estuarine system (EGREE) which harbours the second largest population of fishing cats in India. The study recorded fishing cats (n = 495), jackals (n = 472), rhesus macaques (n = 186), smooth-coated otters (n = 24), jungle cats (n = 13), mongooses (n = 3), rodents (n = 49), birds (n = 62), and humans (n = 793). A predominant nocturnal activity was observed for the fishing cat and jungle cat, while the jackal showed bimodal activity. The fishing cat showed a high temporal overlap with rodents and considerable spatio-temporal segregation towards human disturbances. The overall structure of spatio-temporal relations indicates segregation in the guild and maybe an effective strategy to avoid competition. The anthropogenic stress and the negative interactions lead to conflicts which are detrimental in sustaining a viable fishing cat population in EGREE. Our study accentuates this fact and substantiates that EGREE delta region is a benign fishing cat habitat if human disturbances are abridged.

Opportunistic records of jungle cat (Felis chaus) and their activity pattern in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal

Jungle cat (Felis chaus) is one of the widely distributed but less studied species in Nepal. We studied jungle cat distribution and their activity pattern in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR), Nepal. Photographs of the jungle cats obtained during camera trapping survey targeted to fishing cats in the winter season of two consecutive years (2016 and 2017) were used for this study. With an effort of 525 trap days from 69 stations, we obtained a total of 234 images/videos of jungle cats on 37 occasions from 15 stations. We recorded jungle cats distributed in the eastern buffer zone of the KTWR. All the jungle cat photographs were obtained in the night with peak activity within a couple of hours following the sunset. We suggest to carry out focused study specific to jungle cats to understand their distribution, status and diet.

Molecular characterization of ascaridoid parasites from captive wild carnivores in China using ribosomal and mitochondrial sequences

BackgroundDespite the public health importance of toxocariasis/toxascariasis, only a few species of these ascaridoid parasites from wild canine and feline carnivores have been studied at the molecular level so far. Poor understanding of diversity, host distribution and the potential (zoonotic) transmission of the ascaridoid species among wild animals negatively affects their surveillance and control in natural settings. In this study, we updated previous knowledge by profiling the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of ascaridoid species among eleven wild canine and feline animals on the basis of a combined analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) gene and the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 (cox2) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) genes.ResultsIn total, three genetically distinct ascaridoid lineages were determined to be present among these wild carnivores sampled, including Toxocara canis in Alopex lagopus and Vulpes vulpes, Toxocara cati in Felis chaus, Prionailurus bengalensis and Catopuma temmincki and Toxascaris leonina in Canis lupus, Panthera tigris altaica, Panthera tigris amoyensis, Panthera tigris tigris, Panthera leo and Lynx lynx. Furthermore, it was evident that T. leonina lineage split into three well-supported subclades depending on their host species, i.e. wild felids, dogs and wolves and foxes, based on integrated genetic and phylogenetic evidence, supporting that a complex of T. leonina other than one species infecting these hosts.ConclusionsThese results provide new molecular insights into classification, phylogenetic relationships and epidemiological importance of ascaridoids from wild canids and felids and also highlight the complex of the taxonomy and genetics of Toxascaris in their wild and domestic carnivorous hosts.

First Camera Trap Record of Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus Bennett, 1833 (Carnivora: Felidae) from a Rural Wetland of Mid-West Bengal, India

Prionailurus viverrinus, a wetland-dependent lesser cat with globally declining population, is suffering from increasing destruction/conversion of wetlands for various anthropogenic use, poaching, retaliatory killing etc. In India, they prefer to thrive in dense emergent vegetation adjoining different wetlands along the east coast and Gangetic plains. However, surveys determining their distribution range were carried out long ago and, due to various threats they have been decimated from many areas where they used to thrive earlier. This demands for a reassessment of their present status across its reported distribution range. Here we report the presence of fishing cats (through camera trap evidence) for the first time from a human-dominated wetland habitat of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India. Out of all camera-trap images in the present study (N = 39), majority are of fishing cats Prionailurus viverrinus (25 pictures, 64.10%) followed by golden jackal Canis aureus (12 pictures, 30.76%), and jungle cat Felis chaus (two pictures, 5.12%). None of these wild fauna were recorded during day time. Fishing cats and golden jackals were mostly recorded between 21:01–3:00 h and 18:00–21:00 h respectively. Two images of jungle cats were also captured, one each during 21:01–00:00 h and 00:01–3:00 h. Similar studies in other wetlands within the distributional range of fishing cats will collectively validate their present distribution, which might be useful for in-situ conservation of this elusive vulnerable species.

Population density and habitat use of two sympatric small cats in a central Indian reserve.

Despite appreciable advances in carnivore ecology, studies on small cats remain limited with carnivore research in India being skewed towards large cats. Small cats are more specialized than their larger cousins in terms of resource selection. Studies on small cat population and habitat preference are critical to evaluate their status to ensure better management and conservation. We estimated abundance of two widespread small cats, the jungle cat, and the rusty-spotted cat, and investigated their habitat associations based on camera trap captures from a central Indian tiger reserve. We predicted fine-scale habitat segregation between these sympatric species as a driver of coexistence. We used an extension of the spatial count model in a Bayesian framework approach to estimate the population density of jungle cat and rusty-spotted cat and used generalized linear models to explore their habitat associations. Densities of rusty-spotted cat and jungle cat were estimated as 6.67 (95% CI 4.07–10.74) and 4.01 (95% CI 2.65–6.12) individuals/100 km2 respectively. Forest cover and evapotranspiration were positively associated with rusty-spotted cat occurrence whereas both factors had a significant negative relation with jungle cat occurrence. The results directed habitat segregation between these small cats with affinities of rusty-spotted cat and jungle cat towards well-forested and open scrubland areas respectively. Our estimates highlight the widespread applicability of this model for density estimation of species with no individual identification. Moreover, the study outcomes can aid in targeted management decisions and serve as the baseline for species conservation as these models allow robust population estimation of elusive species along with predicting their habitat preferences.

INTERPRETASI POTENSI EKOWISATA DUSUN DAROK KECAMATAN BONTI KABUPATEN SANGGAU KALIMANTAN BARAT

Darok hamlet is located in the bonti sub district of sanggau district. Has many tributaries such as the Hisi, river the Himua and Tangis, the Darok and the Bonti river. Darok hamlet has good natural forest. Has the status of protected forest areas Mount Budu, Iron Mountain, there are protected plants Amorphophallus titanium dan Rafflesia tuan mudaee young master one of West Kalimantan endemic. There are animals like tringgiling, jungle cats, and proboscis mongkeys which are still widely around the river. Darok village is also still thick with ‘Gawai’ traditions. The purpose of ths study was to record the potential of ecotourism and develop interpretations of the ecotourism potential of the village of Darok. The method used is exploration and ascending coordinates and direct interviews with hamlet heads, custom temenggung and local communities. The results of explroration there are 28 attractions that can support the interpretation of ecotourism potential, namely 18 physical potentials, 3 potential rare and endemic plants, 7 culture potentials. The results of the exploration were develoved into two tour package pathways, namely the protected forest path package and social culture this package was made based on field research. The protected forest package is on the heavy side, the settlement is 3 km away, there are potential waterfalls cascades, cascade amorphophallus titanium and others. While the social culture route in the north is 1 km away there is potential for tembawang forest, rice fields, traditional houses, and othersKeywords: Ecotourism, Interpretation, Pathway Interpretation.

Identification of selected wild felids using hair morphology and forensically informative nucleotide sequencing (FINS): Wildlife forensics prospective.

We describe the identification of the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), jungle cat (Felis chaus) fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinusis), wild cat (Felis silvestris) and caracal (Caracal caracal) using combined approach of morphological and molecular based analysis. Three mitochondrial genes [12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and cytochrome b (Cyt b)] and hair characteristics (cuticle and medulla patterns) were analysed and variation was observed among few selected wild felids. We did not find conclusive morphological difference among these examined felids. We observed maximum variation in Cyt b in comparison to12S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes. Therefore, despite poor hair morphological difference, forensically informative nucleotide sequencing (FINS) exhibited unambiguous variation among the examined felids. We suggest the use of FINS for differentiating biological samples of closely related wild felids to avoid any false identification of species in illicit trade. Furthermore, the data generated from the present work would help in strengthening the DNA database of Indian small cats.

First photographic record of Jungle Cat Felis chaus Schreber, 1777 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in Haripur District, Pakistan

The Jungle Cat Felis chaus was recorded in Pakistan’s Haripur District during a camera trapping survey in March to April 2019. This is the first photographic evidence of its presence outside a protected area in northern Pakistan.

Jungle Cat Felis chaus Schreber, 1777 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) at high elevations in Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

To date, the Jungle Cat Felis chaus has been recorded in the lowlands and mid-hills in Nepal. Photographic evidence, however, is scarce, particularly in alpine habitat. Here we present the first photographic records of the Jungle Cat in an alpine habitat in Lower Mustang of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. It was recorded by camera traps at elevations of 3,000–3,100 m in 2014 and 2016 in 10 detections during 2,755 trap days. In July 2016, one individual was sighted at an elevation of 3,300m. The habitat of these records comprised riverbed, a poultry farm adjacent to agricultural land and shrubland of Juniper and Caragana species.

An Automated Animal Classification System: A Transfer Learning Approach

Animal classification from images obtained by various techniques in forest become an important task to carry out focused distribution and abundance estimation. In the following paper a frame work based on Transfer Learning (TL) in a Convolutional Neural Network is proposed for the construction of an automated animal identification system. The framework is used to analyze & identify focal species in the images. A dataset of 6,203 camera trap images of 11 species including Wild pig, Barking deer, Chital, Elephant, Gaur, Hare, Jackal, Jungle cat, Porcupine, Sambhar, Sloth bear was obtained. Superior performance can be achieved by using Transfer learning in Deep Convolutions Neural Network (DCNN) for species classification. The accuracy achieved by the proposed model on the test dataset is 96% in 18 epochs by using batch-size of 32. This, in turn, can speed up research findings, construct more efficient and reliable animal monitoring systems, and consequently, save the time and effort of the Indian scientists. Therefore, having the potential to make significant impacts in the classification and analysis of camera trap images of the site under observation.

Human footprint differentially impacts genetic connectivity of four wide‐ranging mammals in a fragmented landscape

AbstractAimMaintaining connectivity is critical for long‐term persistence of wild carnivores in landscapes fragmented due to anthropogenic activity. We examined spatial genetic structure and the impact of landscape features on genetic structure in four widespread species—jungle cat (Felis chaus), leopard (Panthera pardus), sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) and tiger (Panthera tigris).LocationOur study was carried out in the central Indian landscape, a stronghold in terms of distribution and abundance of large mammals. The landscape comprises fragmented forests embedded in a heterogeneous matrix of multiple land use types.MethodsMicrosatellite data from non‐invasively sampled individuals (90 jungle cats, 82 leopards, 104 sloth bears and 117 tigers) were used to investigate genetic differentiation. Impact of landscape features on genetic structure was inferred using a multimodel landscape resistance optimization approach.ResultsAll four study species revealed significant isolation by distance (IBD). The correlation between genetic and geographic distance was significant only over a short distance for jungle cat, followed by longer distances for sloth bear, leopard and tiger. Overall, human footprint had a high negative impact on gene flow in tigers, followed by leopards, sloth bears and the least on jungle cats. Individual landscape variables—land use, human population density, density of linear features and roads—impacted the study species differently. Although land use was found to be an important variable explaining genetic structure for all four species, the amount of variation explained, and the optimum spatial resolution and the resistance values of different land use classes varied.Main conclusionsAs expected from theory, but rarely demonstrated using empirical data, the pattern of spatial autocorrelation of genetic variation scaled with dispersal ability and density of the study species. Landscape genetic analyses revealed species‐specific impact of landscape features and provided insights into interactions between species biology and landscape structure. Our results emphasize the need for incorporating functional connectivity data from multiple species for landscape‐level conservation planning.

Innovations in skin camouflaging techniques: Where are we scientifically?

Cutaneous disorders can impact on the psycho-social well-being of children and adults alike, which has been reviewed elsewhere (Body Image 27, 2018 and 98). The present review sets out to evaluate progressions in skin masking and camouflaging techniques together with evaluating the efficacy of these. There does not appear to have been any recent reviews about innovations in skin camouflaging techniques. Using the National Centre for Biotechnology Information PubMed database, a search was made for all studies published between 2000 and 2019 that met defined inclusion criteria. A total of seven relevant publications were identified. Of the seven studies identified, skin camouflaging improved quality of life in three studies and reduced anxiety, depression and social isolation in others. Of the camouflaging methods used, liquidized simulated second skin technology (Microskin™) appears to look particularly promising. This method of colour matching and a spray/stippling application uses a technology that binds to the epidermis of the skin helping to overcome previous concerns about the colour, coverage and application of camouflage and masking bases. Two studies showed that this innovative mode of camouflaging raised confidence, feelings of happiness and social experiences in children and adolescents with burn scarring. Very few studies reported drawbacks of camouflaging techniques, with limited colour matches and 'itching' appearing to be the main shortcomings. New technologies now appear to be addressing these. Results show that there is wide variation in the quality and modes of skin camouflaging. Of the methods used, simulated second skin technology appears to be an important and effective therapy for individuals with cutaneous skin disorders. Training schemes along with increased awareness of this technique must now be communicated to medical professionals who come into contact with children and adults who could benefit physically, psychologically and socially from this therapy.