Rusty-spotted cat with lighter coat caught on camera in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

The smallest member of the cat family, the rusty-spotted cat, was sighted in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve of Uttar Pradesh earlier this year. The sighting of the kitten – a seemingly leucistic one – sent ripples of excitement among those who had spotted it and the officials of the protected area.

The status of leucism in the cat, however, remains contentious after scientists working on wildcats for a long time said that the variation was nothing but a commonly found difference in coat colours. Leucism is the lack of melanin pigmentation in all or some parts of the skin of animals due to a series of defects in melanin-producing cells (melanocytes).

Classified as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the rusty-spotted cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is called the ‘hummingbird of cats’ owing to its tiny stature – weighing just about 0.8 to 1.6 kg with a body length of around 35 to 48 cm and a tail extending from 15 to 25 cm.

Mayank Jaiswal, a freelance wildlife photographer, who spotted and clicked pictures of the otherwise nocturnal species, in broad daylight at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, was first confused about its identity owing to its lighter appearance.

“I thought it was a fishing cat as its coat was...

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