An update on the status of Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus Bennett, 1833 (Carnivora: Felidae) in Thailand

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Published: Mar 12, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.4557.11.4.13459-13469
Keywords:
Coastal wetland, human-dominated habitat, inland wetland, mangrove forest, persecution, riverine habitat, species distribution, threat assessment

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Wanlop Chutipong
Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5266-535X
Anucha Kamjing
Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0244-564X
Worata Klinsawat
School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7323-2513
Dusit Ngoprasert
Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2008-4809
Kitipat Phosri
Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8917-3837
Niti Sukumal
Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7758-621X
Pongnapa Wongtung
Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4682-2168
Naruemon Tantipisanuh
Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6245-7725

Abstract

Fishing Cat Prionailurus viverrinus is threatened throughout its range by habitat loss, persecution, and non-targeted hunting; it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  Even basic distribution data are still lacking in many parts of its range, particularly in southeastern Asia where most wildlife surveys focus on large charismatic carnivores in protected habitats, typically inland blocks of evergreen or semi-evergreen and deciduous forests.  This report aims to update on distribution and status of Fishing Cat in Thailand.  Historic (the 1980s) and current (2007–2017) records from Thailand were compiled based on personal communications, local news agencies, social media pages, and publications.  The current Thai Fishing Cat distribution seems to be highly fragmented and mostly in coastal wetlands of the Inner Gulf of Thailand and the Thai-Malay Peninsula with one confirmed record from a riverine habitat in central Thailand.  No confirmed records came from protected forested areas—perhaps these are marginal habitat for Fishing Cat.  Nevertheless, there were no targeted surveys in those areas.  Fishing Cat was so far not detected from on-going otters’ targeted camera trap surveys along Thailand’s Andaman coast.  Future surveys should focus on coastal and inland wetlands to expedite the discovery of remaining populations before these are extirpated.

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 11 No. 4 (2019)
Section
Articles

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Author Biographies

Wanlop Chutipong, Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.

Wanlop Chutipong is currently investigating how humans impact on animal populations and their survival by focusing on small mammalian carnivores, mainly otters and fishing cat.

Anucha Kamjing, Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.

Anucha Kamjing completed his MSc at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, with dissertation entitled "Determinants of Smooth-coated otter occupancy in a rapidly urbanizing coastal landscape in Southeast Asia". He is interested in ecology of small mammalian carnivores and currently conducting landscape scale occupancy surveys of otters in southern Thailand.

Worata Klinsawat, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.

Worata Klinsawat completed her PhD in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota. Her work focuses on the phylogeography and landscape genetics of tiger and Asian elephant. As a lecturer at KMUTT, she is an advocate for genetic monitoring to assess wildlife population dynamics at evolutionary and recent timescales.

Dusit Ngoprasert, Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.

Dusit Ngoprasert was interested on conservation of bears and several small carnivore species. His interests include population estimation, habitat selection and distribution models. In addition, he conducts field research and teaches a method course and assists students/collaborators to deploy appropriate methodologies and undertake data analysis.

Kitipat Phosri, Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.

Kitipat Phosri graduated with a BSc from Khon Kaen University. After graduation, he has been involved with several projects including small carnivore surveys in southern Thailand. His current project is entitled “Population and density estimates of Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) at Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailandâ€.

Niti Sukumal, Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.

Niti Sukumal completed his PhD at KMUTT with a thesis entitled “Ecology and landscape conservation of Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus)â€. He is interested in the conservation and ecology of birds and mammals at a regional level. His current research focuses on Galliformes conservation in Southeast Asia.

Pongnapa Wongtung, Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.

Pongnapa Wongtung completed his BSc from Suratthani Rajabhat University, Suratthani, Thailand. During undergraduate study, his research focus was on marine benthos and marine fish. Currently, he is conducting landscape scale occupancy surveys of otters in southern Thailand.

Naruemon Tantipisanuh, Conservation Ecology Program, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bang Khun Thien, Bangkok, 10150 Thailand.

Naruemon Tantipisanuh is a landscape ecologist interested in landscape-level vertebrate conservation using remote sensing and GIS. Her PhD work supports systematic conservation planning in Thailand and the Indo-Burma hotspot. Currently, she is working with colleagues to conduct surveys of small carnivores in coastal wetlands and mangroves in southern Thailand.

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