Rare fishing cat at Manx wildlife park dies

Keepers said Benny the fishing cat was "a good age"

A rare fishing cat that was a "favourite with staff, volunteers and visitors" at a zoo on the Isle of Man has died, keepers have said.

The feline, who was more than 12 years old, was one of two of the cats housed at the Curraghs Wildlife Park.

Keepers said the average lifespan for the species was between 10 and 12 years and the male fishing cat, named Benny, had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis last year.

A spokeswoman for the park said the animal would "still be missed" despite reaching "a good age".

In a post on Facebook, keepers said Benny had been receiving pain relief for his condition but "suddenly went off his food" last week and died "before an investigative aesthesia could be done".

Breeding programme

The remaining fishing cat at the park, a female named Diane, was also about 12 years old the spokeswoman said.

It was hoped the studbook for the European Endangered Species would be able to identify "some younger cats ready to leave their parents" and be relocated to as the Ballaugh park, she said.

"We would really like to continue with this endangered species," she added.

Native to Asia, fishing cats can be found in the wild in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

The animals are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The species remains under threat from a loss of wetland habitat, water pollution and pesticide poisoning.

In 2021 the park's conservation fund contributed over £3,500 to the Urban Fishing Cat Project, which monitors and protects the species in Sri Lanka.