The Nehru Zoological Park had a rare acquisition coming its way, with a fishing cat joining its repertoire of species on Tuesday.
The fishing cat, an endangered species, was rescued from a residential colony in Kakinada and transported here. The two-year old feline is said to be in good health condition and quarantined for a fortnight.
According to the zoo’s curator A. Sankaran, the fishing cat had wandered off into a residential colony in Kakinada, and after entering a house there it killed some birds. Local residents locked it in a room, and the feline was later shifted to the city zoo here. “Nehru Zoo never had this species, and it is a good and interesting addition for us,” he said.
Found in mangroves
Rare even in the wild these days, fishing cats usually are found in mangrove forests near estuaries, the confluence point of fresh water from rivers and sea, and live on fishes there, he said, adding, “In size, they are slightly bigger than the jungle cats.”
Nehru Zoo had recently developed a separate area for small cats. It has already acquired jungle cats and a leopard cat.
The new acquisition will be shifted to the third enclosure after the mandatory quarantine period.
