Felis chaus (Schreber, 1777)

Jungle Cat Felis chaus (Schreber, 1777) View in CoL

Distributed in the Himalayas and North East India, this cat species mostly prefers grasslands, scrub, dry deciduous and evergreen forests. Sometimes, it appears near to semi-urban and village areas. This species was recorded once near the Riparian Habitat of Gulajuli camp during the study period (Figure 3 l). The main threats to Jungle Cats in the study area as well as the state include habitat loss due to human encroachment and deforestation, human-wildlife conflict leading to killings, poaching for fur and body parts and also road mortality. Conservation efforts focus on habitat protection and mitigating conflicts. This species is recognized as Least Concern category as per the IUCN Red List, it is listed as a Schedule II species under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Appendix II in CITES ( Table 1).