Join us for the Otter Trail

Field Awareness Program in the Eastern Ghats forest range

 

Contest Theme: Small Wild Cats of India

There are 10 species of small wild cats in India. Small wild cats play a key role in the food chain of the ecosystem by preying on rodents and other small animals. If small cats are missing in the environment, the rodent populations will increase uncontrollably leading to ecological imbalance. Habitat destruction due to man-made activities is one of the main threats to their survival.

 Your art work should focus exclusively on the small wild cat species of India and how you can help to save them. The Asian Golden Cat, Marbled Cat, Caracal, Asiatic Wildcat, Eurasian Lynx, Pallas’s Cat, Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, Fishing Cat and Rusty-spotted Cat are the small cat species inhabiting various habitats of the country.

There is a special prize for the best art work on the Fishing Cat. You may submit your art work in this special category separately.

A brief introduction to small wild cats of India

1.      Asiatic Golden Cat: A medium sized cat having plain golden color coat. Inhabits forests of north-eastern India. A terrestrial animal with good climbing skills.

2.      Marbled Cat:  A beautiful cat with irregular blotches all along its body. Found in evergreen forests of north-east India. Feeds on small mammals, birds and rodents.

3.      Caracal: It has long, black tufted ears. A slender cat inhabiting arid regions of north-western India. Mainly consumes birds and small mammals.

4.      Asiatic Wildcat: Found close to human habitations and cultivated fields. Also called as Desert Cat. Prefers desert and semi-arid regions of north-western India.

5.      Eurasian Lynx: Has a sandy grey coloured coat with long tufted ears. Found in some parts of Jammu & Kashmir and Sikkim. Feeds on small hoofed mammals and hares.

6.      Pallas’s Cat: Inhabits the trans-Himalayan region of India. They have a thick coat which makes them look stocky in appearance. Their populations are decreasing due to habitat loss and poaching.

7.      Jungle Cat: Most commonly found wild cat species in India. It has a short tail and long legs.  Hunts small snakes, lizards, mice and frog.

8.      Leopard Cat: Another commonly found small cat in India. Sadly, they are hunted for their beautiful fur. They mainly prey on rodents such as rats, mice and squirrels.

9.      Rusty Spotted cat: Smallest cat in the world! Characterised by linear rusty brown spots along its back and head. Lives in dry forest, rocky areas and scrub forest of central and south India.

10.  Fishing Cat: An Endangered wild cat with large longitudinal stripes from above the forehead over its neck. Their primary habitat consists of wetlands and mangroves. They prey on fish, birds, insects and rodents. They are protected by the Indian Wildlife  (Protection) Act 1972.

Contest Rules

*Please keep in mind, art work submitted on big cat species like tiger, lion or leopard will not be accepted.

1.      The art contest runs from October 7^th 2015 to November 15^th 2015

2.      Open to all children between 10-16 years of age!

3.      Art work using ink, pencil, paint and crayon will only be accepted.

4.      The art work must be an original creation.

5.      Your art should not be larger than 29 cm x 42 cm in size (A3 is acceptable)

6.      All artwork must include the phrase: SAVE THE SMALL WILD CATS!  (Capitalized, with an exclamation point!)

7.    Please write your name, age, class, school and contact number on the back of the art work.

8.      The contest winners will be selected by judges appointed by the organising bodies.

9.      Submissions after the deadline will not be accepted.

10.  Winners will be notified by phone & email by second week of December, 2015.

11.   Prizes will be given away to the winners at a venue and date announced later.

12.  Art work may be directly submitted to your concerned school teacher or digitised copies emailed to egwsvizag@gmail.com

 

Prizes

        I Prize – Cash award of 6,000/- rupees + Certificate

        II & III Prizes – School bags + Certificate.

       Fishing Cat Category - Cash award of 4,000/- rupees + Certificate for the best art!

Suggestions

1.      We discourage using glitter.

2.      No religious content.

3.      Do not bend your drawing sheets.

4.      Do not copy from other’s content.

5.      Select species of your interest and carry out thorough research over the internet or read relevant books /magazines to fine-tune your ideas.

Galikonda is a unique windswept landscape at an altitude of 1000 meters in the eastern ghats not far from Vizag city. Constantly blowing high winds and the bauxite deposits in that area shape the vegetation of the area influencing its structure and also the wildlife that live in Galikonda.

 

Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society plans to document this unique geographic area and extends invitations to people interested to join the efforts.

 

 

Smallest cat in the world recently found in Visakhapatnam, India.

The Rusty Spotted Cat ( http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/18149/0 )is the smallest cat in the world. It is endemic to Indian Subcontinent and found no where else. Their population is threatened by habitat loss and hybridization with domestic cats. They are protected under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 under Schedule I.

Absolutely nothing is known about the ecology and status of this species as there are virtually no studies on them as yet! While most of the researchers run after the charismatic Tigers and Leopards all the time, small wild cats and other small mammals are mostly neglected in India. Their crucial role in the ecology is often underrated. We implore every one to support us in conserving such rare and endangered species through conservation education and research.

A Rusty Spotted Cat rescued at Visakhapatnam.

Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society has taken up the following projects under the Phase-I of its major activities in this year

1. Community Based Conservation of Fishing Cats in Andhra Pradesh.

2. Conservation of King Cobras in Andhra Pradesh.

3. Education and Awareness Campaigns.

Contact Address

Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society (EGWS)

Email - egwsvizag@gmail.com