KENDRAPARA: Fishing cats have been found scavenging on the carcasses of Olive Ridley turtles in the mangrove forests of Bhitarkanika National Park, offering new insights into the feeding behaviour of the elusive wild cat species, as per the research of scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
Researchers have documented two instances of fishing cats feeding on dead Olive Ridley turtles in the Bhitarkanika mangroves of Odisha. The observations provide rare direct evidence of scavenging behaviour in fishing cats, which are generally known for their hunting abilities.
The first observation was recorded on February 29, 2024 during a camera-trap survey in Rajnagar range of Bhitarkanika National Park. Researchers discovered an Olive Ridley turtle carcass on a mudflat. A close examination revealed several pugmarks around the carcass, along with dragged pieces of flesh. The pugmarks were identified as those of a fishing cat based on their size and measurements, said Govindan Veeraswami Gopi, one of the researchers.
A second incident was documented on the night of January 28, 2025 when a fishing cat was photographed scavenging on another Olive Ridley carcass. The observation further confirmed that fishing cats in the region utilise dead marine animals as a source of food.
Bhitarkanika National Park, situated in the deltaic region of Brahmani and Baitarani rivers in Kendrapara district, is an important mangrove ecosystem. The area, including the Gahirmatha coast, serves as a crucial feeding and breeding ground for Olive Ridley turtles, a vulnerable species.
Fishing cats are primarily distributed across the mangroves and floodplains of eastern and southeastern Asia. In India, the species is largely associated with coastal mangrove habitats. Although their diet includes a variety of prey such as fish, crabs, molluscs, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals, direct evidence of scavenging has remained limited.
The deaths of Olive Ridleys in the region are largely attributed to fishing activities, particularly trawling, in which the turtles are accidentally caught in nets and subsequently drown. Such carcasses, along with those of saltwater crocodiles and dolphins, may provide an important food source for fishing cats and other opportunistic scavengers.
The findings are significant as most existing knowledge about the feeding habits of fishing cats has been derived from scat analysis, which cannot conclusively determine whether an animal was hunted or scavenged.
The study was recently published in CATnews, the journal of the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, in its Summer 2026 issue. Apart from Govindan, Bijoy Kumar Das, Ajinkya Bankar and CS Ashik were the other researchers who conducted the study.