Project title
Conservation of Rusty-spotted cat in Nallamala Forest, Telangana, India
Project leader
Shiva Kumar
Project location
Latitude: 16.265970 Longitude: 78.856310
Project summary
Shiva Kumar is a conservation activist, a professional wildlife Storyteller & Wikipedian, a Master’s Degree holder in Journalism and Mass Communication from Hyderabad, India. He is passionate about wildlife conservation. Through his work, he hopes to inspire greater appreciation for the small wild cats and other wildlife that shares our planet and encourage conservation action.
Shiva Kumar sighted and photographed a solitary Rusty-spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus on 25th December, 2020 at Munni Swami Temple of Nallamala Forest Range, Telangana, India. Nallamala Forest is located in Nagarkurnool, Telangana state, India. It is located around 58 km from Srisailam and 185 km from Hyderabad. The famous Mallella Theertham waterfall is located and the River Krishna flows through this forest. This forest and surrounding cultivated agricultural lands are the prime habitat of Rusty-spotted cat, other small wild cats, owls and many other endemic birds and mammals. Shiva Kumar witnessed that the world’s smallest wild cat has been facing serious conservation threats in this area and throughout the Telangana state. Lack of awareness, road-kills, habitat loss, illegal hunting and poaching and dogs are the immediate survival threats for Rusty-spotted cat in the area. To mitigate these threats, Shiva Kumar has initiated a conservation project to ensure the continual survival of the world’s smallest wild cat in its natural habitat.
Goal of the project
To protect Rusty-spotted cat and its habitat in Telangana, India
Objectives of the project
- To conduct series of school outreach programs in local schools in Telangana for creating awareness and for preparing future generations of Rusty-spotted cat conservation
- To engage local communities and related stakeholders in the conservation of Rusty-spotted cat and its habitats
- To repair and build predator-proof chicken coops in local communities to reduce the conflict between local farmers and the small wild cats
- To prepare and install road-signs and information boards in the high-way and local roads to reduce the road-kills
- To mitigate hunting and poaching of Rusty-spotted cat and other small wild cats in collaboration with local communities and forest officials
- To produce, publish and broadcast awareness news and programs in local language newspaper and media
