Guwahati: In a remarkable breakthrough for wildlife research in Northeast India, camera traps have captured the first-ever photographs of the elusive Marbled Cat (Pardofelis marmorata) in Kakoi Reserve Forest, Assam. The discovery, reported by researchers Hiranmoy Chetia, Abhijit Konwar, and Anshuman Gogoi in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, marks a significant milestone in documenting one of Asia’s rarest small wild cats.
“This record is especially important because the Marbled Cat is so rarely observed in the wild,” said Hiranmoy Chetia, lead author of the study. “Camera trap photographs not only confirm its presence but also highlight the conservation value of lesser-known, under-surveyed forest patches like Kakoi. It shows us that these fragmented habitats still hold secrets worth protecting.”
The study, conducted in July 2024, deployed camera traps along animal trails and natural clearings in Kakoi Reserve Forest. Over a span of 28 days, two photographs of the Marbled Cat were captured at different locations—both near perennial streams and within dense forest canopy cover of around 60–70 percent.
Declared a reserve forest in 1919, Kakoi spans nearly 50 square kilometers in Assam’s Lakhimpur district along the foothills bordering Arunachal Pradesh. It is a rich mosaic of semi-evergreen and moist deciduous tracts interspersed with wetlands. Key tree species include Mesua ferrea, Bombax ceiba, Dillenia indica, and Kayea assamica, a species endemic to Lakhimpur.
But while the forest remains biologically rich, its survival is under growing pressure. “Despite the relatively intact canopy, Kakoi faces mounting threats from livestock grazing, firewood collection, and forest-edge degradation,” Chetia cautioned. “At present, direct threats to the Marbled Cat are minimal, but without enhanced protection, increasing human activity could compromise the forest’s ecological balance.”
The Marbled Cat, listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and protected under Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, is often described as a miniature version of the Clouded Leopard. It thrives in dense, connected forest canopies, making the Kakoi sightings particularly significant.
“The nearest sites where the Marbled Cat was reported earlier are Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh and Subansiri Reserve Forest in Dhemaji district. These sites are about 20–30 km away from our study area,” the study notes.
“Interactions with local people revealed that they never harmed or killed a Marbled Cat. Some mentioned that when Marbled Cats came near their poultry coops, they sometimes used catapults to scare them away but made it clear they never intended to kill them. They also emphasized that they neither eat wild cat meat nor sell any parts of wild animals,” Chetia said.
“Convincing local people to protect rather than hunt the Marbled Cat is essential for its conservation,” he added. Chetia believes the discovery should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and conservationists. “The Kakoi forests, though small and relatively overlooked, are reservoirs of biodiversity. Continued monitoring and stronger protection measures are essential to ensure that species like the Marbled Cat do not quietly vanish before we fully understand them.”
The research team now hopes their work will trigger further surveys in neighboring reserve forests and along the Himalayan foothills to piece together a clearer picture of the Marbled Cat’s status and habitat requirements in Northeast India.
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