Rare caracals seen at Rajasthan’s Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve | Jaipur News – Newz9

JAIPUR: Photographic proof of two enigmatic caracals, poised to turn into India’s second wild cat species at danger of extinction after the cheetah, was recorded within the newly notified Ramgarh Vish Tigerdhari Reserve in Bundi district. The presence of those medium-sized wild cats was captured by digicam traps on Dec 19 in Ramgarh Valley and Dec 25 in Mehrupura Hills.
Sanjeev Sharma, divisional forest officer (DFO), mentioned, “There were no records of caracals in this region over the past two decades. The presence of these two rare cats, listed as a threatened species on the IUCN Red Listis a promising sign for conservation efforts.”
Rajasthan can take satisfaction in harboring these critically endangered cats in its forests, which face extreme threats as a consequence of habitat loss throughout a number of states. Before 1947, caracals had been reported throughout 7,93,927 sq km of India.
However, their vary declined by 47.99% between 1948 and 2000 and by a staggering 95.95% between 2001 and 2020, shrinking to a mere 16,709 sq km—lower than 5% of their 1948–2000 vary and simply 2.17% of their pre-1947. vary.
A forest official mentioned, “A recent report published in the international Journal of Threatened Taxa highlighted 24 caracal sightings (protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act) in Rajasthan since 2001, the highest in the country. However, the current population in the state could not be determined.”
These elusive wild cats are predominantly present in dry deciduous forests with water our bodies and severely eroded riverbanks adjoining to ravine habitats. They additionally inhabit dry, arid areas and moist woodlands.
In Rajasthan, aside from Ranthambore and its contiguous areas, together with Dholpur, caracals have been noticed in Udaipur and the remoted Chittorgarh-Pratapgarh area. “The caracal is native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and India, and is listed as a threatened species on the IUCN Red List,” a forest official mentioned.
Identified by their distinctive tufts of hair at the guidelines of their ears, caracals are nocturnal, agile, elusive, and adept hunters. They prey on rodents and recreation birds with outstanding pace and dexterity. “A caracal can leap three meters in a single bound and has paws resembling those of a cheetah. They are easily recognized by their long, pointed ears ending in tufts,” the official added.