World’s tiniest wild cat seen in Telangana’s Mahabubabad

The cat, rated under the near-threatened category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is rarely seen in Telangana

Sangareddy: A Rusty Spotted cat, considered the world’s tiniest wild cat, was spotted in Mahabubabad district on Saturday morning. The cat, rated under the near-threatened category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is rarely seen in Telangana.

Farmers spotted the cat, which is rivalled only by the black-footed cat when it comes to size, at Kauslyadevipally in Narasimhulupet mandal. Forest officials, who rushed to the spot following information from villagers, rescued it.

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District Forest Officer Vishal said they released the cat into the reserve forest area after a medical examination and finding that it was healthy with no injuries.

Vishal said they were very happy to see the rare cat in the area. The cat is spotted only in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, while the black-footed cat, also a classified vulnerable species, is mostly seen in Africa.