Research overview: canal infrastructure hazards for urban fishing cats

Engineered canals with steep concrete sides, common in urbanised wetlands, can trap and drown fishing cats and impede their movement, an underappreciated hazard distinct from road mortality. This overview synthesises observations and project findings on how canal design affects fishing cat survival in cities such as Colombo, and the potential for wildlife-friendly modifications including escape ramps, vegetated banks and culvert crossings. It examines the tension between flood-control engineering and wildlife permeability, and how infrastructure design choices materially affect a wetland felid. The synthesis frames canal engineering as a tractable design problem with direct consequences for urban fishing cat persistence.