A leopard cat, five toddy cats (the common palm civet), a civet cat (the Indian small civet), and a wild cat are among the feline members at the Pilikula Biological Park.
These cats have been rescued from some villages in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, according to H.J. Bhandary, Director of the park. He told The Hindu that the cats had been added to the park over the past five years. The leopard and civet cats were rare now owing to loss forest cover and poaching, he said. The leopard, as the name suggested, had spots all over its body. The civet cat was known for its musk, and the toddy cat was called so because it lived atop palmyra palms, Mr Bhandary said.
He said the cats lived for 16 to 20 years if they were kept in a zoo. They were fed with meat and eggs. Like other animals at the park, the cats were made to starve one day in a week, he added. The cats were dozing when The Hindu team visited the park. They would be active in the evening as they were nocturnal animals, Scientific Officer of the park Jerald Vikram Lobo said.
