NEWS – Six Wild Cat Species Recorded Above 4,200 m in Arunachal Pradesh

HIGHLIGHTS

Landmark Discovery

• A WWF-India team has documented six wild cat species above 4,200 metres in Tawang and West Kameng districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Species recorded:
  • Snow leopard
  • Common leopard
  • Clouded leopard
  • Leopard cat
  • Marbled cat
  • Pallas’s cat (first-ever photographic evidence in Arunachal Pradesh)

Survey Details

• Conducted between July–September 2024.
• Used 136 camera traps at 83 sites across 2,000 sq. km.
• Supported by the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department and funded by the UK Government under the project Reviving Trans-Himalayan Rangelands.

Key Records

• Highest elevations recorded in India for:
  • Common leopard – 4,600 m
  • Clouded leopard – 4,650 m
  • Marbled cat – 4,326 m
  • Himalayan wood owl – 4,194 m
  • Grey-headed flying squirrel – 4,506 m
• These may exceed global elevation limits.

Significance of Pallas’s Cat

• Globally listed as ‘Least Concern’ (IUCN) but rarely photographed.
• Earlier confirmed in Sikkim, Bhutan, and eastern Nepal.
• The new record extends its range in eastern Himalayas.

Ecological and Cultural Insights

• Camera traps captured rare behavioural interaction: snow leopard and common leopard scent-marking the same site.
• Images also highlighted Brokpa pastoral traditions, showing coexistence of people, livestock, and wildlife.