West Bengal’s New Wildlife Star: World’s Smallest Wild Cat Just Turned Up In Purulia

On an ordinary night in Purulia’s Kotshila range, a pair of gleaming eyes slipped past a camera trap meant for pangolins, and rewrote West Bengal’s wildlife list. The images confirmed the first record of the rusty-spotted cat in the state, elevating Bengal’s tally to nine wild cat species and thrilling biologists who’ve long suspected the species in the Chotanagpur Plateau forests that spill across state borders.

Weighing barely 0.9–1.6 kilogrammes, lighter than many domestic cats, the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is among the world’s smallest wild felids, found only in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. India holds the lion’s share of its range, with scattered populations in dry and moist deciduous forests, scrub, and farmland edges. It’s listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and protected at the highest level under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act (Schedule I). 

A Rare Discovery In Purulia’s Forests

For West Bengal, the discovery plugs a biogeographic gap and highlights the conservation value of ‘ordinary’ forests outside famous parks. Conservationists note that the same Purulia fragments have recently held transient tigers and resident leopards—signs of a recovering food web. Finding an elusive, low-profile hunter at the bottom end of that web is ecological good news: small cats mop up rodents, raid bird nests, and themselves feed larger carnivores.

Meghna Banerjee, CEO and co-founder of the Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL), the organisation whose camera traps sighted the tiny feline, explained to Outlook Traveller that the discovery of the rusty-spotted cat in Purulia came as part of a broader pangolin conservation project supported by the Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Trust.

“We were conducting a project to study the occurrence of pangolins in Purulia, specifically in the Bandwan and Jhalda blocks, and to design conservation strategies for them,” Banerjee said.

As part of the work, her team set up camera traps near the village of Simni, close to the Jharkhand border. These traps not only captured pangolins but also a range of other wildlife. “Interestingly, we found the rusty-spotted cat, which is the first record of this species in West Bengal. It had previously been reported from adjoining states, but never here,” she noted. “And since then, we have had multiple sightings from the same location.”

The findings highlight the biodiversity of the region, where HEAL has also documented honey badgers, sloth bears, and leopards.

She stressed that collaboration with the forest department has been central to the project.

“We have permits from the West Bengal Forest Department for our camera traps, and we keep the chief wildlife warden and other officials updated about all findings,” Banerjee said.

Sayani Nandy, assistant divisional forest officer, Purulia Division, emphasised the significance of the discovery and the region’s conservation efforts.

“The sighting of the rusty-spotted cat in Bengal’s Purulia is a huge thing,” Nandy said. “The Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra is already carrying out a conservation and breeding programme for this species. Breeding is usually taken up for animals that are nearly threatened. In Purulia, we have spotted just one individual so far, but there might be others inside the forest. We will look into that.”

Nandy explained that instead of focusing on a single species, the forest department works to protect the entire ecosystem. “In the Ayodhya jungle, for instance, there are elephants too. What we do is try to protect the overall forest. We have members from the Joint Forest Management Committee, and it is with their cooperation that species here have remained safe till date. In fact, the honey badger was first reported from this very forest,” she pointed out.

Vasudha Mishra, a researcher with HEAL, highlighted that the Purulia sighting carries significance beyond the cat itself—it reshapes how we think about wildlife conservation in India.

“The most significant thing this sighting tells us is, firstly, that there is still a lot to learn about small cats. And secondly, it highlights the importance of natural habitats outside India’s protected area network,” she said.

She explained that conservation in India has largely focused on tigers, leopards, and other charismatic species, while small cats remain overlooked.

“Small cats don’t catch the public eye the way big cats do. They aren’t considered charismatic, so they don’t get the same attention or funding. As a result, there are big knowledge gaps about their distribution in India,” Mishra noted.

Traits Of The Feline

Describing the species, Mishra pointed out that the rusty-spotted cat is tiny—barely half the size of a domestic cat.

“Adults are really small. They feed on lizards, frogs, birds, and sometimes rodents or small mammals. In captivity, they’ve even been known to eat fruits,” she explained. “But diet can vary across habitats, and we still need more research to understand their prey base fully.”

On whether the team could estimate the population in Purulia, Mishra said it was extremely difficult.

“Rusty-spotted cats don’t have distinct markings like tigers or leopards, which makes it hard to identify individuals,” she said. “We recorded the species in three different camera traps along a trail about six kilometres inside the forest. But it’s possible it was the same individual captured multiple times. So, for now, the minimum confirmed count is one.”

Asked whether the cats could pose any threat to villagers, Mishra dismissed the idea.

“They are not vicious. Like any wild animal, they’ll defend themselves if cornered, but mostly they run away. In fact, no animal is truly vicious,” she explained.

She added that since the species was never known from Bengal before, there’s little awareness of it locally.

“Even in British-era records of West Bengal’s wildlife, there was no mention of the rusty-spotted cat. People here are familiar with jungle cats and jackals, but not this species,” Mishra said. “So far, no one has reported poultry losses or conflict involving this cat. But we need to carry out dedicated surveys with images to check if locals have ever seen it without realising what it was.”

What Initiatives Are Being Taken

When asked human-animal conflict, Meghna Banerjee of HEAL clarified: “Rusty-spotted cats are generally very elusive. They rarely venture into human homes or poultry farms, unlike jungle cats, which are bolder. Being smaller, they have plenty of prey inside the forest and usually stay away from people.”

Banerjee noted, “The fact that such elusive species are thriving so close to villages shows the ecological importance of this landscape. Our long-term goal is to recommend that this forest area be declared a protected sanctuary, though it must be done carefully, keeping in mind the dependence of local communities on forest resources.”

Awareness programmes, she added, are an essential part of HEAL’s work.

“We show videos and presentations to local communities about pangolins, rusty-spotted cats and other species, so that people can see their behaviour and ecological role. It helps humanise these animals and builds respect for them,” Banerjee said.

Alongside the pangolin initiative, HEAL is also implementing a second project with WWF under the Conservation Catalyst Programme, aimed at mitigating conflict between people and carnivores like leopards, hyenas, jackals and wolves.

“We created a seed goat bank in villages to compensate for livestock losses from carnivore attacks. If a goat is killed, the family receives a replacement from the pool,” she explained. “This has reduced retaliatory killings and made communities more open to coexistence.”

Speaking about conservation measures, ADFO Nandy noted: “We are trying to make sure there aren’t barren lands in the forests. There has been zero killing reported of any species in the forest and the tribal areas in the last 3–4 years. More than 25 camera traps are currently in use in Purulia, and further studies are planned, though the monsoon makes the work difficult. In the last five years, there has been no poaching here. People and animals have co-existed since time immemorial.”

She stressed that the forest department has no intention of removing species like the rusty-spotted cat from their natural habitat. “There is no need to pick these animals up from the wild and put them elsewhere for protection. They have survived in their natural ecological habitat,” Nandy said.

On managing human-wildlife interactions, particularly with elephants, she added: “We are very alert to ensure there is no human injury or casualty. When elephants move close to settlements, we do mike announcements to spread information and awareness. Bulk messages are also sent to people’s phones, and the administration is kept in the loop so that we can respond quickly. We also try to relocate the elephants. For now, there aren’t any challenges relating to conservation in this region.”

FAQs

1. What is the rusty-spotted cat and where is it found?
The rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is the world’s smallest wild cat, found only in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It inhabits dry forests, grasslands, and scrub habitats.

2. Why is the sighting of the rusty-spotted cat in Purulia significant?
This is the first confirmed record of the species in West Bengal, expanding its known range and highlighting the conservation value of Purulia’s lesser-known forests.

3. Is the rusty-spotted cat endangered?
The species is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and is protected under India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, Schedule I, the highest level of legal protection.

4. How big is the rusty-spotted cat compared to a domestic cat?
The rusty-spotted cat is half the size of a domestic cat, weighing just 0.9–1.6 kg, making it the smallest wild cat in the world.

5. What role does the rusty-spotted cat play in the ecosystem?
As a small predator, it controls rodent populations, feeds on birds, reptiles, and insects, and itself becomes prey for larger carnivores—helping maintain ecological balance.