The nocturnal wild cat found in South Asia that is an adept swimmer and catches fish is the fishing cat. Its scientific name is Prionailurus viverrinus, and it lives mainly around wetlands, rivers, marshes, mangroves, and other slow-moving bodies of water.
Unlike most small cats, the fishing cat is highly adapted to aquatic hunting. It can swim long distances and even underwater, using its partially webbed toes to move through water. Fish make up much of its diet, although it also eats birds, rodents, amphibians, reptiles, insects, mollusks, and carrion.
The fishing cat is generally active at night, when it searches shallow water and muddy banks for prey. Its spotted coat helps it blend into dense vegetation. A common mix-up is confusing it with the leopard cat, another Asian wild cat; leopard cats are more associated with forests and are not as specialized for fishing.
Wetland destruction and persecution have caused major population declines, and the species has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2016.