Bhopal
A rare caracal-wild cat, was spotted at Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district. The sanctuary, recently chosen for expanding India’s cheetah reintroduction program, now also hosts this endangered species, locally known as syahghosh.
Forest officials confirmed that an adult male caracal was recorded on a camera trap in the Mandsaur forest division. Caracals are fast, mostly active at night, and prefer dry, rocky, or grassy terrain. Their presence in India is extremely rare, and the species is listed as endangered.
Authorities see this sighting as a major win for wildlife conservation. They said it shows that Gandhi Sagar’s dry and semi-arid habitat is healthy and capable of supporting sensitive and rare species. This is not only important for research but also reflects the success of our conservation efforts, an official noted.
It is the first confirmed sighting of a caracal in a protected area of Madhya Pradesh in many years, bringing pride to the forest department. Officials credited the forest staff and sanctuary team for maintaining the ecological balance and making this possible.
Earlier this year, in April, two cheetahs from South Africa—Prabhash and Pavak—were released into the Basigaon Khemla region of the sanctuary. The new caracal sighting further boosts Gandhi Sagar’s growing reputation as a safe and thriving home for rare and endangered wildlife species.
