Overview

• Camera traps captured an adult male caracal, locally called “syahghosh,” on July 11 in the Mandsaur forest division.
• This is the first confirmed sighting of the species in a Madhya Pradesh protected area in several years.
• In India the caracal has been classified as endangered and is known for its nocturnal, fast-running habits in dry, rocky terrain.
• Forest department officials credit targeted conservation measures and habitat management for sustaining rare carnivores.
• The sighting builds on an April programme that released two South African cheetahs into the sanctuary to restore apex predators.