Sightings of rare animal or plant species is a matter of joy, for not only the environment but also the people concerned with its conservation and protection. For the first time, photographic evidence has been recorded of the Indian Desert Cat in the forests of Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Madhya Pradesh.

During their night safari, one of the tourists captured the Indian Desert Cat at Akola Buffer of the Panna Tiger Reserve. The State's Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan took to his social media account to share his delight over the rare sighting and appreciated the efforts of the forest officials at task to conserve the flora and fauna. Huge Cat Found Carved in Nazca Desert in Peru! Know More About Nazca Lines Which Has One of 'The Ancient Mysteries of The World' (Watch Video).

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Tweet

Indian Desert Cats

Popularly also known as Asiatic wildcats, the Indian desert cats are usually found in deserts. Their characteristics include the ability to survive without water. Further, they also have cushion-like hair on the toes that help them balance the fluctuating temperature in the desert.

These cats live mostly in the scrub deserts, at an elevation of up to 2,000 to 3,000 meters, mountains with enough vegetation, and in temperate forests. Even though they can live without water, they can be found close to water sources. In India, the Asiatic wildcat inhabits the Thar Desert. They can also be found in arid and semi-arid zones of Western India including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

In 1999, these desert cats were still reported as common in some districts of Bikaner, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pali, and Nagaur, Rajasthan. Between 1999 and 2006, only four sightings were reported from the Thar Desert.

Threats to Desert Cats

Due to their soft fur, these animal species became the prey of hunting for the fur trade. In addition to this, the paw species is also facing the threat of hybridization. Desert cats are being hybrid with domestic cats which can lead to the loss of genetic information. Apart from poaching and human-animal conflict, they face the threat of habitat loss.

Panna Tiger Reserve

Panna Tiger Reserve is located in Vindhyan Hills in northern Madhya Pradesh. It was established in 1981. The river Ken, a tributary of the Yamuna river, also flows through the reserve and the region is also famous for Panna diamond mining.

It was declared a Project Tiger Reserve in 1994 by the Government of India. Earlier in August 2021, the first-ever photographic evidence of a Fishing Cat, an endangered animal in India, was confirmed in the Panna Tiger Reserve. The endangered animal was first spotted here two years ago in 2019 and the Reserve authorities confirmed the animal’s existence after two years of extensive studies.

Flora & Fauna of Madhya Pradesh

The forests of Madhya Pradesh hosts 10 National Parks, 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 3 Biosphere Reserves, and 6 Tiger Reserves. With 30.71% of Madhya Pradesh's geographical area as forest land, the State has a plethora of plants and animals. In addition to hosting plants and animals, the forests are also a source of livelihood for the forest dwellers.

Of the total forest cover, 79.71% is tropical dry deciduous, 17.90% tropical moist deciduous, and 0.27% tropical thorn forests. Important tree species include Teak, Bija, Saja, Anjan, etc while Safed Musli, Jungli pyari, Kalhari are a few of the many important medicinal plants found in the State.

Dhole, Bengal fox, Gaur, Great Indian Bustard, Indian Python are some of the threatened animal species in Madhya Pradesh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2021 07:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).