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In the swamps, marshes, and mangrove forests of South and Southeast Asia, fishing cats prowl. With dense, waterproof double-layered coats and partially webbed toes, fishing cats are roughly twice the size of a standard housecat — but much better equipped for swimming.
In the thick of the night, they primarily hunt fish, frogs, shellfish, crustaceans, and rodents, with a prey drive that helps the local ecosystem stay in balance.
However, in recent decades, fishing cats have also been incredibly difficult to spot in the wild. In a press release from Conservation International, the nonprofit said that fewer than 10,000 of the predators remain in the wild, describing the vulnerable species as so rare that it “borders on myth.”
That is, until a camera trail in Pursat, Cambodia, captured rare footage of an adult fishing cat padding near the edge of Tonlé Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake.
“It’s a thrilling discovery,” Sony Oum, who leads Conservation International’s work in Cambodia, said in a statement.
“But its sighting indicates so much more than just the return of the fishing cat — it’s a testament to the hard work of the community to restore their wetlands.”
For 15 years, Conservation International has been hard at work restoring the Tonlé Sap in collaboration with the Royal Government of Cambodia and 16 local fishing communities.
By removing invasive species like non-native mussels and the common water hyacinth, preventing pollution, and preventing overfishing, the partnership is responsible for 2,470 acres of forest growth — and the return of one of Asia’s most elusive wild cats.
“The cat’s return suggests fish are abundant enough to sustain a hunter,” Oum said. “It suggests the flooded forests have regained some of the underbrush that predators need to hide from prey. It suggests that, at least here, the wetlands are recovering.”
While celebrating the fishing cat sighting, Conservation International stressed that the work they had accomplished was bigger than any one species. In fact, the Tonlé Sap is home to over 300 species of fish, 200 species of birds, 40 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 50 species of mammals.
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Not to mention the 1.5 million locals living in stilt houses and floating villages nearby, who rely on the lake’s forests for freshwater, food, and wood for fuel.
“Not long ago, the flooded forests were facing destruction,” he said. “Today, we see restored swamp forests bringing native wildlife home — like otters, birds and the enigmatic fishing cat.”
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Header image via Public Domain (PDM 1.0)
