Rare Rusty Spotted Cat, world's smallest species caught on camera in Keoladeo National Park

The world's smallest cat, Rusty Spotted Cat was caught on cameras by two wildlifers in Keoladeo National Park on September 23. This is a near threatened species of cat and has been included in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016.

Bharatpur:The Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan's Bharatpur, famous for its birds and biodiversity, has added a new feather in its cap. A rare species of Rusty Spotted Cat, one of the smallest of its kind in the world, has been spotted with her kittens in the park.

The rusty spotted cat is a near threatened species listed in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016. It is a matter of great joy for the environment lovers that such a rare species of cat has been spotted here.

Divisional Forest Officer Manas Singh said on September 23, the rusty spotted cat was seen with her kittens in Keoladeo National Park. "This rare species of cat was captured on cameras by two wildlifers, Dr. Olga Joshi and Robin. In the photograph, the Rusty Spotted Cat is seen holding one of her babies in her mouth. This smallest species of cat is found only in India and Sri Lanka. In 2012, this species was spotted in the Western Terai region of Nepal. This species of cat is a very quiet in nature and comes out only at night," Singh said.

The DFO further said that due to damage of its natural habitats, the species is significantly getting decerased in numbers.

Notably, Keoladeo National Park is famous throughout the world for its biodiversity. More than 350 species of migratory birds migrate to the park during the winter season. Spread across an area of 28.73 square km, the park houses 57 species of fish, 34 species of mammals, around 9 species of turtles, 80 species of butterflies and 14 species of frogs.

Several domestic and foreign tourists come to the park every year to enjoy its biodiversity.