The caracal, a highly nocturnal wild cat, is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.

Speaking on Project Caracal, Wildlife Institute of India director Dr Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj told PTI that the study would be carried out across four tiger reserves in Rajasthan—Ranthambore, Dholpur-Karauli, Ramgarh Vishdhari and Mukundra Hills—as well as adjoining areas such as Bandh Baretha.

Manas Singh, deputy conservator of forests at Ranthambore, told the news agency that the project would not only strengthen protection measures for the species but also provide a fresh impetus to biodiversity conservation across the Ranthambore landscape.

Photo credit for caracal image: Shutterstock

Sources: International Union for Conservation of Nature, Britannica, Press Trust of India, Reuters, Natural Earth