Fishing cat rescue-and-release offers potential model for conservation in Bangladesh

A fishing cat, found gravely injured and emaciated in northern Bangladesh, has been successfully released back into the wild after undergoing extensive rehabilitation. The feline, which belongs to the Prionailurus viverrinus species, was later fitted with a satellite-tracking collar. With an estimated population of up to 7,500 in the wild, primarily in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, fishing cats predominantly inhabit areas where only about 95% of their range is outside protected zones.

The species also inhabits Cambodia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand, and is believed to be locally extinct in Indonesia and Vietnam.

In February 2026, the Bangladesh Forest Department rescued the male fishing cat and transferred it to the Jankichara Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in the northeast of the country. The odds of the cat's survival were slim, according to Caesar Rahman, CEO of the Creative Conservation Alliance (CCA), the conservation nonprofit that manages the center.

The cat had suffered a dislocated jaw, likely from being beaten by humans, and was severely malnourished, weighing only five kilograms (11 pounds). Rahman expressed hopelessness, stating, "We had very little hope that he would survive."

Through weeks of assisted tube feeding and veterinary care, the cat's health gradually improved, and it eventually reached 12 kg (26.5 lb). To facilitate a smooth transition back into the wild, conservationists established a soft-release enclosure at the Ooterbhag and Indanugger sites.