RUSTY SPOTTED CAT (Prionailurus rubiginosus)

The rusty-spotted cat is the smallest cat in the world, found in Sri Lanka’s monsoonal forests and the central highlands. These nocturnal wild cats use the same pathways as the leopard and are thus quite common in photo captures across most of WWCTs study sites. The photo captures of this cat increased in 2023 and it remains the most frequently detected of the small wild cats. 

Distribution: Present in pockets throughout Sri Lanka and India. 

Status: Endangered (National Conservation Status); Vulnerable (Global Conservation Status)