IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Chowdhury, S.U.; Chowdhury, A.R.; Ahmed, S.; Bin Muzaffar, S. | |
| Human-fishing cat conflicts and conservation needs of fishing cats in Bangladesh | |
| 2015 Cat News (62): 4-7 | |
Bangladesh is known as one of the key countries of the fishing cat _Prionailurus viverrinus_, which is now recognized as a globally endangered species in response to its potentially rapid population declines in the last decade primarily due to habitat loss. We analysed media coverage of two major daily newspapers and interviewed local forest officials and conservationists in order to understand human-fishing cat conflicts, the distribution of human-fishing cat conflicts, current management practices and public perceptions. Content analysis of a total of 82 reports on the fishing cat in local and national newspapers revealed 30 confirmed deaths in four years. Other reports included 18 rescue-release cases by the Forest Department of Bangladesh. However, the status of the cats in 38 cases remained undetermined, as there was not enough information in the news reports. A survey of fishing cat habitat inside and outside protected areas throughout Bangladesh is essential. A management plan involving local conservation groups based in villages adjacent to wetlands can help reduce possible human-fishing cat conflicts and notify local wildlife authorities to take necessary conservation actions. |
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