Rare Caracal Spotted In Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park After Decades
A rare caracal, popularly known as the 'ghost of the grasslands', was recorded at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh during a camera-trap survey conducted by forest officials — the first confirmed s
What happened
A rare caracal, popularly known as the 'ghost of the grasslands', was recorded at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh during a camera-trap survey conducted by forest officials — the first confirmed sighting in the region in decades. The caracal (Caracal caracal) is a medium-sized wild cat listed as 'Least Concern' globally by the IUCN, but in India it is critically rare, with fewer than 50 individuals estimated to survive, making it one of the country's most threatened felids. Kuno National Park, already in the global spotlight as the reintroduction site for African cheetahs under Project Cheetah, hosts a mosaic of grassland and dry deciduous forest habitats that are ecologically suitable for the caracal. The sighting underscores the park's biodiversity value beyond the cheetah programme and highlights the importance of systematic camera-trap monitoring in detecting elusive species. For India, this record reinforces the need to expand conservation focus to lesser-known, data-deficient carnivores alongside flagship species.
The caracal is a medium-sized felid with distinctive long black ear tufts, adapted to arid grasslands, scrublands, and dry forests.
●In India, it is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 — the highest level of legal protection — and is listed in Appendix I of CITES, restricting all international trade.
●Historically distributed across Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of central India, its population has collapsed due to habitat loss, prey depletion, and persecution.
●Kuno National Park (Sheopur district, MP) is a Protected Area under Project Cheetah and falls within the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
●Camera-trap surveys are the gold standard for monitoring elusive carnivores and contribute to occupancy modelling used in wildlife management plans.
Caracal is Schedule I species under WPA 1972 and CITES Appendix I — India's population is critically small (under 50), making any confirmed sighting scientifically significant.
◎ In Simple Words
A very rare wild cat called the caracal was photographed by a hidden camera in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh — something that hasn't happened in many, many years. Think of the caracal like a shy, secretive student who almost never shows up in class; scientists barely knew it was still living there. Kuno is already famous because it is the home of cheetahs that were brought back to India. This photo is exciting because it tells us the forest is healthy enough to support many different kinds of wild animals, not just the famous ones.
Factual Pointers
Practice · 1 question
With reference to the Caracal (Caracal caracal) in India, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
2. It is classified as 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List globally.
3. It was recently recorded at Kuno National Park through a camera-trap survey.
Select the correct answer using the codes below: