The Enigmatic World of Wild Cats: A Quest Beyond the Big Cats

The world of wild cats is incredibly diverse and often underappreciated, especially when it comes to the smaller species. While big cats tend to dominate the spotlight, the challenge and thrill of observing and photographing small cats are unparalleled. Globally, there are 40 species of wild cats, both big and small, distributed across various continents:

• Africa is home to 9 species: 3 big cats and 6 small cats.

• The Americas boast 12 species: 2 big cats and 10 small cats.

• Europe hosts 2 small cats.

• Asia has a remarkable 17 species: 4 big cats and 13 small cats (excluding the cheetah).

India stands out with the highest diversity of wild cats, housing 4 big cats and 11 small cats. Remarkably, more than one-third of the world’s wild cat species are found here.

In recent years, my ambition has grown into a passionate quest: to observe and photograph all 15 species of wild cats found in India. So far, I have been fortunate to see 10 of them and photograph 9.

The Big Cats of India

1. Tiger
The largest and most charismatic of all wild cats, found across India.

2) Asiatic Lion
Exclusively found in Gujarat.

3) Leopard

The most adaptable of all big cats, surviving in a wide range of habitats.

4) Snow Leopard

The most elusive of the big cats, residing in the most inaccessible high-altitude regions of the Himalayas .

The Small Cats of India

1. Jungle Cat These cats are the easiest small cats to find as they are spread across most of India.

2) Fishing Cat

These cats are highly nocturnal and as the name suggests hunt for fish which constitute their main diet .

3) Indian Desert Cat

Found In Thar desert in Rajasthan and the Kutch region of Gujarat. These are also called the Asiatic wildcat.

4)Rusty-spotted Cat

These are the smallest of the wildcats found in Asia.

5) Pallas’s cat

The Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul), also known as the manul, is a small wild cat. They are also called the Grumpy cat. found in the high altitude areas of the Himalayas.

6) Leopard cat.

I have seen this cat but dont have photograph from India. However i am sharing a photo of the Leopard cat from Borneo

Having successfully observed and photographed all the big cats of India, my journey continues with the small cats. I have encountered and documented 6 of the 11 small cat species. However, the search for the remaining 5 persists:

1. Marbled Cat

2. Asian Golden Cat

3. Clouded Leopard

4. Eurasian Lynx

5. Caracal

The quest to see the remaining cats continues as i travell from the dense forests of the Northeast for the Marbled Cat, Asian Golden Cat, and Clouded Leopard to the rugged terrains of Ladakh for the Eurasian Lynx; and the arid landscapes of Rajasthan for the Caracal.

Each of these cats represents a unique challenge, a testament to the incredible diversity and beauty of India’s wild heritage. My journey is far from over, and the thrill of discovery keeps driving me forward.