Scientists issue warning after detecting shift in rare predator's hunting habits: 'Likely to happen to humans too'
Land development and habitat loss have driven fishing cats in Thailand to near extinction, per Mongabay. To survive, they've been living closer to humans. But how has that affected their species?
What's happening?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has marked fishing cats as vulnerable to extinction, according to Mongabay.
Traditionally, fishing cats have lived and hunted in marshlands. However, human activity has forced them out of their natural habitats. They've consequently turned to agricultural and aquacultural developments for stable food sources, like fish, rodents, and insects.
Unfortunately, they've also eaten people's chickens, leading to a hostile relationship with local farmers, who have killed them in retaliation. Conservationists are trying to change the narrative, pointing out fishing cats' affinity for pest control.
While this has helped prevent violence against the cats, the species still has low genetic diversity. And that's not all — scientists have also discovered microplastics in their bodies.
"Fishing cats and people occupy the same ecological role of top predator," Rattapan Pattanarangsan, a program manager at a wild cat conservation organization, told Mongabay. "So, what happens to fishing cats is likely to happen to humans too."
Why does the fishing cat's decline matter?
As far as humans are concerned, take a look at fishing cats' diets. The discovery of microplastics in their digestive systems doesn't bode well for ours. Studies have found that microplastics are the most abundant pollutants in the oceans, being consumed by fish and making their way up the food chain to top predators.
Research indicates that microplastics have huge health consequences, damaging your kidneys, heart, and reproductive system. So far, no one knows exactly what this is doing to fishing cats. But it doesn't bode well.
Like Pattanarangsan said, fishing cats are apex predators. This is a crucial role in any ecosystem. When apex predators die out, prey populations spiral out of control.
Let's use another apex predator as an example. According to BBC Wildlife, the hunting of grey wolves at Yellowstone National Park set off a chain reaction: elk populations increased, overgrazed on trees, and caused the local beaver population's sharp decline.
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The fishing cats are no different. Like all animals, they're part of a complex, delicate web. When a species goes extinct, it can have dire consequences for another.
What's being done about it?
In Thailand, fishing cats are becoming a kind of national mascot.
Teacher Supoj Sukapat is leading youth conservation initiatives in which students learn about marshlands and the importance of fishing cats. He told Mongabay that kids are going home and telling their parents not to harm the cats.
Killing fishing cats is also a no-go in Thailand, and those who break the law are subject to heavy fines and/or imprisonment.
If you'd like to help the fishing cats on an individual level, consider donating to causes that directly work with wild cats.
Other takeaways from this story include the importance of discussing environmental issues with your family and friends and doing what you can to limit plastic pollution.
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