Asiatic Caracal
Source: Indian Express
GS II: Environment and Conservation

What is discussed under Asiatic Caracal?

1. Key facts about the Asiatic Caracal
2. Habitats

Why in News?

Although both species once had a comparable distribution, the caracal, which was used by India’s nobility in the sport of coursing like the cheetah, is currently in danger of extinction.

Key Facts

• The medium-sized, elusive Asiatic caracal (Caracal caracal schmitzi), a felid (cat) species that is locally vulnerable, has been widely claimed to be on the verge of extinction in India.
• The reasons are that the species is thought to be seriously threatened by widespread hunting, illegal trade, and habitat destruction.
• The caracal is currently listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972.
• It is considered to be Near Threatened in India according to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Conservation Assessment and Management Plan.

About the Research

• The research was conducted by a team of researchers from:

  

  • The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation, Ahmedabad
  • The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the Leo Foundation, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
• Based on fine-scale ensemble modelling of the caracal’s distribution, they sought to identify the prospective places where the caracal might occur in India.
• The researchers wanted to analyse different protected areas where caracal conservation activities might be organised from the management and conservation standpoint as well.

Habitat

• The researchers found the most significant potential habitat for caracals in:
  • Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra
• On a district level, it was discovered that the Kutch district in Gujarat, Sheopur, Morena, and Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, and Sirohi, Jalore, Alwar, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Kota, Dhaulpur, Bundi, Baran, Jaipur, Tonk, and Dausa in Rajasthan, were the best places for caracals to live.
• The areas of Kutch, the Malwa Plateau, the Aravalli hill range, and the Bundelkhand region in Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh are the best habitats for caracals.
• A significant portion of India’s habitats that were ideal for caracals were found within protected areas, offering the fantastic potential for its conservation under the country’s current management and conservation framework.
• The protected areas which provided high conservation potential for caracals included:
  • Kachchh Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Gujarat
  • The tiger reserves of Ranthambhore
  • Mukundra hills and Sariska and the WLS of Kumbhalgarh
  • Mount Abu and Todgarh-Raoli in Rajasthan
  • Gandhi Sagar WLS in Madhya Pradesh

Conservation Initiatives

• Under the critically endangered species recovery programme, the National Board for Wildlife and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change added the caracal to the list of critically endangered species in 2021.

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