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Malla, G.; Ray, P.; Reddy, T.B.; Sivakumar, K.
A cat in a peril; threatened fishing cat in one of India's largest delta
2022 Cat News (76): 30-33
The Godavari delta in Andhra Pradesh supports a viable population of vulnerable fishing cats _Prionailurus viverrinus_ in India. This threatened cat species is wetland-dependent, and degradation of wetlands, including mangroves, is one of the significant threats to its long-term conservation. The occurrence of fishing cats has been found to be higher in the mangrove forests of the Godavari delta than other coastal habitats in this delta. The close association of fishing cats with the mangroves in the Godavari delta puts them at a high degree of vulnerability due to the ongoing degradation and loss of intact mangrove forests. Here, we discuss the future of the threatened fishing cats and their habitats in the Godavari delta, which is faced with a myriad of issues, including altered river discharge and reduced sediment flow due to dams, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and cyclonic storms.
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