Wildcats in India

Asiatic Lion: Panthera leo persica

Size : Males 1.7 - 2.5 mts. long, 150 - 250 kg. Females 1.4 - 1.75 mts., 120 - 182kg. Tail : 70 - 105 cms., 1 - 1.2 cms. tall. Life span : 12 - 16 years in the wild, females longer. Babies : 1-6 cubs. Gestation : 105 - 112 days. Maturity at 3 - 4 years. Social life : Smaller prides of 2 - 5, male - female bond not strong. Distribution : Confined to the Gir Forest in India, Gujrat state. Habitat : Grasslands and mixed deciduous forest. The Indian Lion is another name for the Asiatic Lion, Panthera leo persica, the sub-species that once ranged from Greece to Central India. This animal has played a major part in the symbols and folklore of Indian culture for over 2000 years. Lions have always been considered the kings of the Jungle. But most of the people in the world think that Lions are only found in the African continent. People haven't been mislead in this regard, the truth is that there aren't many lions left in the rest of the world. And Asiatic lions, a subspecies that split from African lions perhaps 100,000 years ago, are only found in the Gir wildlife Sanctuary of the Indian state of Gujrat.

Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than their African cousins, although the largest Asiatic lion on record was an imposing 2.9 mts. in length. Though they have a less well developed mane, Asiatic lions have thicker elbow tufts and a longer tail tuft. In behaviour, the Asiatic lion is similar to the African lion. The differences are largely due to the lack of large wild prey in the Gir Forest. Asiatic lions are smaller and eat more livestock- 50 - 70%. Their social bonds are not as tight - males only associate with females when mating or at a large kill. Male lions often live in long lasting groups. Mating usually occurs in October and November with the cubs being born in January and February. Cub mortality is high and only about 20% make to 2 years of age.

Males are aggressive to cubs, even their own. So the mother gives birth in a secluded spot, often with 1-2 other lionesses of the pride taking turns to guard the cubs and hunt. Asiatic lions previously ranged over a large part of Iran, Iraq and East India in teak forests surrounded by open lands. The Nawab of Junagadh protected the last 100 Asiatic lions in his private hunting grounds in the Gir Forest, Western India.

Bengal Tiger : Panthera Tigris

The estimated wild population of Bengal tigers is approximately 3,159 - 4,715 tigers, with about 333 in captivity, primarily in zoos in India. Most Bengal tigers live in India, although some range through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. The Bengal tiger lives in a wide range of habitats, including the high altitude, cold, coniferous Himalayan forests, the steaming mangroves of the Sunderbans, the swampy reedlands, the scorched hills of the Indian peninsula, the lush wet forests of Northern India, and the arid forests of Rajasthan. Male Bengal tigers average 2.9 meters (9 1/2 feet) from head to tail and weigh about 220 kilograms (480 pounds). Females are smaller, measuring about 2.5 meters (8 feet) in length and weighing approximately 140 kilograms (300 pounds).

There were eight sub species of the Tiger in the world, out of which three sub species have already become extinct during this century ( Bali, Caspian and Javan) and remaining five are Siberian, Chinese, Indo-Chinese, Indian and Sumatran. The total population of remaining five subspecies is estimated between 4600 to 7200 individuals alone. India is home of around 53% of the global Tiger population. Approximately, 75 % of Indian tigers are found in India which is 3455, around 150 tigers live in protected area of Nepal, 300 - 460 in Bangladesh, 80 - 240 in Bhutan and an unknown number of tigers in Myanmar. Tiger's habitat are particularly dense forest and high grasslands, so it is not easy to witness his habits, movements and his secretive behavior. Tiger is one of the most solitary animals, a dominant male occupy a large area of 50 to 100 sq. kms. as his territory, in which he accommodates 3 to 5 females who make their own sub territories. The male Tiger hardly makes any interaction with these females, who stick to their own areas. Tiger normally is called a silent animal but while they are together they get very noisy and aggressive. The courtship period is of 7 to 10 day but actual mating period is of only 2 or 3 days in which copulation is frequent. Tiger can copulate in every 10 to 30 minutes. The insertion is only for 15 to 20 second.

Tigress is devoted mother to bring her cubs with great care and effort. A normal litter comprises of 2 or 3 cubs. The tiger cubs are born blind and tiny. at the time of the birth, a cub weighs about 1 kg., which goes up to 200 to 275 kgs. during adulthood. Mother keeps the lair absolutely clean and never takes a single piece of meat inside, and she doesn't even allow her cubs to lick the meat until they are about 40 days old. Tiger cubs spend nearly 18 to 20 months with their mother and then start separating one by one depending on their nature, skill and understanding of life in the wild.

Tiger's main diet include Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Gaur, Wild boar. While mother is training her cubs, many monkeys and langurs are killed. In Sunderbans, Tigers swim from one bank to another where they feed on lots of fish, sea turtles and water monitors. Some rare cases show that Tiger sometimes kills the Leopard and also feeds on it. The tiger has wider ecological tolerance then any other member of its family. Unlike Lions, the tigers do not prefer open grass lands, they live in thick forests or areas with tall grasses with plenty of prey. Tiger lives in territory of 50 to 100 Sq. Kms. which highly depends on how much prey is available (all over india tiger land has high population of chital, sambar and wild boar).

Caracal : Lynx caracal

The name "caracal" means "black ears" in Turkish. The Caracal is sometimes called the Desert Lynx. Experts disagree on whether or not a caracal is truly a lynx. It is found mainly in dry savannah and scrub but avoids sandy deserts. This handsome small cat has dense short reddish brown fur. Underparts of chin and body are white, and a narrow black line runs from the corner of the eye to the nose. Its long, slender body is set on long slim legs, the hind legs longer than the front, the tail is one third to one half the body length. The narrow pointed ears are black on the back with long tufts up to four inches long, on the tips of the ears.

The caracal is largely nocturnal but is sometimes seen by day, particularly in cooler portions of its range. It runs rather like a cheetah, is fast for its size and can leap 12 feet (4 mts.), often knocking birds down with its paws. It can climb trees, to which it sometimes carries a kill. Like Cheetah it is easily trained to show its prowess in hunting small deer, gazelle, hares & foxes. Kittens, usually two or three, although there may be up to six, are born in borrowed burrows, rock holes, or thick scrub. They suckle for six months, remain with their mother for about a year and reach sexual maturity at two.

Its distribution ranges from central India and in West through Africa, except for true desert and rain forest areas. It has now disappeared from many parts of India. All of the Asian subspecies of Caracals are now listed as Endangered and the others are listed as Threatened. Its Prey include birds up to the size of guinea fowl, rodents, hyraxes, small antelopes, and even poisonous snakes. In India and Iran it was once trained to catch hares and birds.

The Clouded Leopard: Neofelis nebulosa griffith

The clouded leopard is named for the cloud like spots of its coat that provide camouflage in its forest habitat. The size of clouded leopard is smaller than panther & large male is measured 6 1/2 - 3 fts. of which constitute tail. Males weigh up to 50 pounds and females are significantly smaller, usually 25 - 35 pounds. This cat has a long body & tail along with short limbs and rounded black ears relieved by a grayish patch in the centre. The general colour of the body varies from gray or earthy brown to pale or rich yellow fading to white or pale tawny on the under parts. Clouded leopard has long canine teeth. These canines are longer in proportion to body size than those of any other species of wild cat. Clouded leopards are one of the best climbers in the cat family. They are able to climb upside down underneath tree branches and hang from branches with their hind feet. Large paws with sharp claws allow clouded leopards to gain a good grip on tree branches. Little is known about the wild behavior of clouded leopards due to their extremely secretive nature.

Like all wild cats, clouded leopards are carnivores. They are believed to hunt a variety of prey including birds, squirrels, monkeys, deer, and wild pigs. Clouded leopards are sexually mature around the age of 2 years. Mating can occur in any month. The gestation period is between 85 and 93 days with 1 to 5 cubs produced per litter. Cubs are independent at approximately 10 months of age. Clouded leopards primarily utilize low land tropical rain forest habitats, but can also be found in dry woodlands and secondary forests. They have also been spotted in the foothills of the Himalayas at an elevation of 9000 feet. They are mainly found in the forests of Sikkim, Bhutan & Assam.

The Desert Cat : Felis ornata gray

Desert cat, as the Asiatic wild cat is commonly known in India, closely resembles the house cat. The Asiatic Desert Cat is so closely related to the African Desert Cat that they are regarded as the same species. Not much larger than a domestic cat, this cat has pale yellow fur which is infused with grey and is marked with numerous black spots. Length of a large male is from 40 - 70 cms. and it scales at 3 - 4 kgs.
Like its close relatives, the Asiatic Desert Cat feeds mainly on rodents such as mice and voles but lagomorphs, birds, insects and reptiles are also eaten. The Desert cat is not as nocturnal as the other small cats. Mainly found in semi desert country, it can live for a long time without access to water. It is sometimes found as high as 3000 mts. in mountain areas. Nothing much is known about the breeding habits of this cat. The desert cat is found in the desert wastes & sand hills of Sind, Kutch and Rajasthan.

The Fishing Cat : Prionailurus viverrinus

As the name implies, the fishing cat is a proficient fisherman and is never found far from water. Fishing cat is a close relative of the Rusty spotted cat. It is stockily built and looks powerful. It has a distinctly spotted coat of olive - grey colour. The body markings consist of a series of elongated spots arranged in more or less longitudinal rows. The forehead is marked distinctively with a pair of dark lines running from the top of the eyes up over the crown before breaking into more open marking on the shoulder. Its tail and legs are short. The feet are webbed and the claws are not fully retractile. An average body length of this cat is 700 - 850 mm. and it scales to 7 - 12 kgs. This cat lives in heavy jungle or in scrub about rivers & tidal creeks. Its diet consists chiefly of rodents, though birds, reptiles, insects, carrion and even young ungulates are also eaten. Its breeding season varies from place to place - from being restricted to winter to all year round. Gestation lasts for 57 - 60 days and 2 - 3 cubs on average are born in a litter.

Like its closest relative, the Leopard Cat, the Fishing Cat lives along rivers and brooks. It is even more adapted to this habitat, since it swims often and skillfully. On the other hand, the Fishing Cat is rather clumsy when climbing trees. In India, these cats mainly inhabit forest & swamps at the base of the Himalayas to west in Nepal. It is also found in parts of Bengal and Sind.

The Golden Cat : Profelis temmincki vig

It is the largest of the group of smaller oriental felines. It is fine sturdily built cat reaching to the length of 5 ft. This medium sized feline weighs between 8 and 15 kgs. The general colour is typical golden, which varies from golden brown to dark brown, bright red and grey. There is usually little or no trace of pattern on the body. Very little is known of the golden cat's behavior and ecology. It is predominantly nocturnal. It is believed to prey mainly on large rodents, but its diet also include amphibians and insects, birds, small reptiles and small ungulates such as muntjac and chevrotains. Golden cats have also been reported to prey on larger animals - the goral in the mountains of Sikkim and also wild pig, sambar, deer and young calves of domestic water buffalo. The gestation period lasts approximately 80 days and the usual litter size is 1 - 2. The sexual Maturity : 18 - 24 months - females ; 2 years - males Asian golden cats are found in tropical and sub-tropical moist evergreen and dry deciduous forests and have occasionally been reported from more open habitats. Their range include Malay peninsula, Indo-china, Burma, Assam & Eastern Himalayas.

The Leopard Cat : Prionalurus bengalensis

The traditional name is Begal cat. It is a small wild cat of Asia. On average, it is as large as a domestic cat, but there are considerable regional differences. Its colour & markings give it a look of miniature panther. The prevailing colour of the body is yellowish above, white below and is ornamented throughout with black and brown spots. Leopard cats tend to be yellowish brown in the tropics and greyish - brown in the northern parts of their range. The length of this cat is nearly 17 inches. and weighs around 3 pounds. This beautiful cat preys upon small birds & animals. It is nocturnal and is very rarely seen. It lives close to watercourses and may be found in heights up to 3000 mts. The Leopard Cat can climb trees skillfully. It is also able to swim. In India, it is found in southern India and is seen in the hill forests of Western Ghats.

The Marmorat marbled cat : Pardofelis marmorata Martin

This cat is one of the beautiful and rarest of all its tribe. Although little is known of the habits of this rare, small cat, it appears to prefer moist tropical forests and is an excellent climber. The coat of the Marbled cat is very similar to that of the Clouded Leopard. The general pattern on the coat of these cats consists of stripes on the crown, neck and back, large and small blotches making the so- called " Marbling" and has a more rounded skull and relatively longer legs . Very little is known of this arboreal cat. It is possibly mainly nocturnal and possibly feeds largely on rodents and some birds. Litter size is 1 - 4 and the gestation period lasts approximately 81 days. The major habitat of this cat is Moist tropical forests. In India, they are seen in the forests of Eastern Himalayas and Assam, from whence its range goes into Burma and Malay countries.

The Pallas Cat : Otocolobus manul

The pallas cat is a Central Asian species. It is a small, long tailed cat with a broad head, low forehead and short widely - seperated ears .This cat was wrongly thought to be the ancestor of some breeds of the domestic cat. Pallas cat is small in size, weighing between 2 - 4.5 kgs. and has a grey to ruddy grey coat. Its legs are short and striped. The forehead is spotted and the tail is bushy and striped. Pallas cats are adapted to cold, arid environments and have a wide distribution through Central Asia, but they are relatively specialized in their habitat requirements. Pallas cat is chiefly crepuscular and feeds mainly on pikes (Family : Lagomorpha) and rodents. Birds and insects also form part of its diet. Pallas cats are seasonal breeders, with most litters being born between April and May. Four to five kittens (sometimes up to 8) are born in a litter. Their gestation period is of 66 - 75 days. They are found in stony, alpine desert and grassland habitats but are generally absent from low land sandy desert basins except along river courses. They are found at altitudes up to 4,800 mts. Globally, its distribution spans the cold arid regions of the Central Asia. The northern cold desert region of Ladakh in India is its southernmost distribution.

The Snow Leopard : Panthera uncia

It is one of the most beautiful of all the cats. This cat has soft grey coat, white on belly. Head and limbs are marked with solid black or brown spots, body is covered with brown blotches ringed with black, and a black streak runs down the back. Tail is heavy with fur and the bottom of the paws are covered with fur -- for protection against snow and cold. The winter coat is lighter in color. Males are larger than females. Head and body length is 47 - 59 inches, while the tail is 31 - 39 inches long with average weight between 45 -55 kgs. as opposed to 35 - 40 kgs. for females. Very little is known about the wild snow leopards. It is entirely nocturnal, this cat is a solitary creatures, only pairing during the breeding season. They do not roar. During summer the animal is seen at a height of 18000 ft. In winters, it comes down to the warmer valleys as low as 6000 - 7000 ft.

The snow leopard's prey include wild sheep (such as Bharal, the blue sheep), wild boar, gazelles, hares, markhor, bobak, tahr, marmots, mice and deer. They stalk their prey and usually spring from a distance of 20 to 50 feet. Breeding season is usually between January till May, with gestation lasting 98 -103 days. An estimated 3,000-10,000 cats are left in the wild, and about 370 are in captivity. This beauty is found in high mountains of Central Asia, specifically the Himalayas, Altai and Hindu Kush. Jammu & Kashmir is situated in the central region of the Snow Leopard range. Snow leopards have a broad home range covering about 100 square miles because of the lack of abundant prey.