Research overview: fishing cat distribution in South and Southeast Asian wetlands

The fishing cat is a wetland specialist found in scattered populations across South and Southeast Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia, with strongholds in mangroves and marshes such as the Sundarbans and the Terai. This overview compiles records linking the species tightly to wetlands, swamps, reedbeds, mangroves, and the margins of rivers and oxbow lakes. Its fragmented distribution mirrors the patchy, shrinking distribution of suitable wetland habitat. Mapping where fishing cats persist is challenging because many wetlands are degraded or outside protected areas. Clarifying occurrence matters acutely for this species, since wetland loss is the central threat and accurate distribution data are essential for prioritizing the remaining habitat for protection.