Lok Sabha Question No. 3289 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-12
Subject: Asiatic Golden Cats
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Bidyut Baran Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3289

TO BE ANSWERED ON  12.07.2019

## Asiatic Golden Cats

## 3289.  SHRI SANJAY SADASHIV RAO MANDLIK:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO

:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE  be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  scientists  have  discovered  a  nearly  threatened,  six  different  'Coloured Morhpis'  of  Asiatic  Golden  Cats  in  Arunachal  Pradesh  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  a  study  carried  out  by  scientists  from  the Zoological Society of London and University College of London in Dibang valley of Arunachal Pradesh;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  and  the  findings  thereof  along  with  the  inferences  drawn  by scientists from the above said discovery;
- (d) whether the Government has taken note of threatened/endangered species which are on the verge of extinction; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to prevent such extinction?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) As per the June edition of Ecology Scientific Journal published by Ecological Society  of  America,  there  is  a  report  of  camera  trapping  of  six  coloured morphs  of  Asiatic  Golden  Cats  of  Tightly  rosette,  Grey,  Golden,  Ocelot, Cinnamon, Melanistic cat in Dibang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
- (b) As  informed  by  the  State  Government  of  Arunachal  Pradesh,  no  such research  publication  has  been  submitted  to  the  State  by  the  Research Institute.
- (c) Does not arise in view of  (b) above.
- (d) and (e) Presently the Ministry has identified 21 critically endangered species for the focused conservation programme under the component of 'Recovery programmes  for  saving  critically  endangered  species  and  habitats'  in  the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Development of Wildlife Habitats'. The list of 21 critically endangered species is given in the Annexure.

The steps taken by the Government for protection of endangered species of wild animals are:

- i. The  Wild  Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972  provides  for  punishment  for violation  of  its  provisions.  All  the  identified  21  critically  endangered species are included in Schedule I of the  Act.
- ii. Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created  all  over  the  country  under  the  provisions  of  the  Wild  Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats.
- iii. Financial  assistance  is  provided  to  the  concerned  State/Union  Territory Governments under the component of 'Recovery programmes for saving critically  endangered  species  and  habitats'  in  the  ongoing  Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Development of Wildlife Habitats' for providing better protection and improvement of  their habitats.

****

## ANNEXURE

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (d)AND  (e)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA UNSTARRED Q. NO.3289 REGARDING  'ASIATIC GOLDEN CATS' BY SHRI SANJAY SADASHIV RAO MANDLIK, SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR AND SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO DUE FOR REPLY ON 12.7.2019.

## List of 21 critically endangered species covered under 'Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats'

1. Snow Leopard and the high-altitude Himalayas
2. Bustard (including Floricans) and Grasslands
3. Dolphin and River Systems
4. Hangul and alpine grasslands
5. Nilgiri Tahr, ridge forests and shola-grassland ecosystems in the Western Ghats
6. Marine turtles
7. Dugongs and coral reefs & mangroves
8. Edible-nest Swiftlet and forests of the Andaman archipelago
9. Asian Wild Buffalo and grasslands and riverine forests of central and north India
10. Nicobar megapode and the littoral forests of the Nicobar Islands
11. Manipur Brow-antlered deer and floating water bodies and grasslands
12. Vultures
13. Malabar civet and low elevation moist forests in the west coast of peninsular India
14. The great one-horned or Indian rhinoceros and terai grasslands
15. Asiatic Lion
16. Swamp deer
17. Jerdon's Courser
18. Red Panda
19. Northern River Terrapin
20. Clouded Leopard
21. Arabian Sea Humpback Whale.