A leopard cat has been spotted in Maharashtra's Pench Tiger Reserve for the first time, according to a senior forest official. The leopard cat, scientifically known as Prionailurus bengalensis and a member of the Felidae family, is known for its leopard-like colouration. The species was discovered at the reserve through camera trapping, as per a statement by Deputy Director Prabhu Nath Shukla. The statement also mentioned that this is the first sighting of its kind in central India. According to Shukla, a camera captured the feline near Narahar village in Pench in the Nagpur district. "The site of image capture was inside a seasonal stream. This is the first record of the leopard cat from central India," the statement said. 

Shukla said India is home to 15 species of wild cats, or felids, which account for more than 40 per cent of global felid diversity. Due to its "adaptive flexibility," the leopard cat is the second most widespread species in India after the jungle cat, and is restricted to North East India, northern Himalayan states, West Bengal, Odisha, and pockets of Western Ghats. It was previously thought to be absent in central India, he added. 

"The current finding will pave the way for more works in the distribution of the hitherto relatively under-studied felid...studying the distribution of any animal is very vital to make any conservation efforts holistic," the statement said. 

The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, named after the Pench River, covers an area of 740 sq km and is predominantly dominated by teak trees. According to Shukla, the reserve is connected to the Melghat Tiger Reserve to the west, Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve to the southeast, Pench Tiger Reserve (MP) to the north, and Kanha Tiger Reserve (MP) to the northeast.