Research overview: fishing cats in the Sundarbans and mangrove systems

The mangrove forests of the Sundarbans and other deltas hold important fishing cat populations, and this overview compiles research from these systems. Tidal mangroves offer abundant fish, crabs, and rodents, and the fishing cat is well adapted to navigate their channels and mudflats. Studies using camera traps and sign surveys document the species presence and behavior in these dynamic, saline environments. Mangroves face mounting pressure from aquaculture, embankment, sea-level rise, and salinity change, all of which threaten fishing cat habitat. Research in these deltas is valuable because mangroves may be among the more resilient strongholds for the species if protected, while also being on the front line of climate-driven coastal change.