Fishing Cat Scats as a Biomonitoring Tool for Toxic Heavy Metal Contamination in Aquatic Ecosystems

Abstract

Mangrove forest is one of the productive ecosystems that provide essential habitats for various fauna as breeding and feeding drives. However, heavy metal pollution in the mangrove forest has led to severe health problems for several aquatic species. Biomonitoring of metals using a nondestructive method is an emerging technique. Scats of the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) were collected from five locations in the Godavari estuary mangrove habitats, Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India, to determine the level of various metals. An opportunistic method was applied to collect scats in the mangrove forest. Six scat samples were collected from each of the sampling sites. The following prey species, such as crabs, fishes, birds, rodents, plants, plastics, and unidentifiable prey matters, were found in the scats. Select metals, such as chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) were analyzed from the scats of the fishing cat since they intensively influence the physiology and behavior of top predators. The concentration of Cu in fishing cat scats was higher than the other two metals assessed. Metals showed statistically substantial variation across locations (p < 0.05). According to the current study, heavy metals may significantly threaten the fishing cat in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. The fishing cat is a vulnerable species in accordance with the ICUN categories. Due to pollution and other human pressures, the fishing cat may soon be categorized as a threatened or endangered species; the research advises that authorities should prioritize the protection of the vulnerable species of the fishing cat from the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.