Felis Chaus - Wild Cat spotted at the Sultanpur National Park

Last Saturday, when I visited the Sultanpur National Park on a foggy morning, I did not expect to see much apart from the Sarus Cranes and Jackals. However, I was in for a surprise towards the end of my trek! The surprise came when I spotted a wild cat sunning itself in the sun. On doing some research, I came to know that what I had spotted was none other than a cat known by its scientific name, Felis Chaus.

While this cat's status is supposed to be under the least concerned category, its population status needs to be better recorded. This cat species is, however, faced with the destruction of wetlands, poaching, trapping and poisoning. Least, but not last, this cat is hunted for its fur! International organizations have, however, banned the hunting and killing of this wild cat. This wild cat species is also known as Forest Lynx.

It was, indeed a rewarding moment to spot the wild cat at the Sultanpur National Park. I had spotted a pair of these cats a few years ago when the National Park had opened after the COVID-19 pandemic, but then they had been too fast for me to capture a good enough photograph of them.