A rare sighting of the caracal, a highly elusive wild cat, has been confirmed near the India-Pakistan border in the Thar Desert, offering fresh hope for wildlife conservation in the country.
Forest officials have verified the presence of at least three caracals in the region. This has raised cautious optimism about the survival of the species, which is considered critically endangered in India.
The caracal, often referred to as the "desert lynx", is a medium-sized nocturnal predator known for its long black-tufted ears. It is well adapted to dry and arid landscapes. Once widely found across northwestern parts of the country, its population has declined sharply over the years due to habitat loss, hunting and fragmentation of its natural habitat.
Sightings of the animal are now extremely rare, making this development particularly significant.
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To protect and monitor the species, authorities have set up an extensive surveillance system. Camera traps have been installed across key desert corridors, while some animals have been fitted with radio collars to track their movement in real time.
Jaisalmer deputy conservator of forests Kumar Shubham said that "a radio-collared caracal was released on January 25 in the Ghotaru region near the border. Since then, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has been carrying out intensive monitoring, installing nine camera traps and studying the animal's ecology, food habits, and food chain."
According to Shubham, "the monitoring effort has already yielded significant findings. Camera-trap images have confirmed the presence of one uncollared female, one uncollared male, and the radio-collared male previously released, all captured in the installed traps. Researchers are also analysing scat, pugmarks, and other signs to understand the species' behaviour and distribution better."
He added that location data from the radio collar is helping researchers map the caracal's movement patterns and identify its active zones. Based on these patterns, additional camera traps are being deployed to explore the possibility of more caracals inhabiting the area and to deepen understanding of the region's caracal population.
Officials said continuous monitoring is helping researchers better understand the caracal's behaviour, prey patterns and habitat use, which could aid future conservation efforts.
