Project Supporters We wish to thank the following funders and collaborating institutions. Without their support this project would not be possible:

The Fishing Cat Research and Conservation Project was established in 2003 with the goal of securing and restoring fishing cat populations and the conditions they need to thrive in the wild. The project supports basic surveys, ecological research, and outreach activities at sites throughout the Fishing Cats Range with an emphasis on sites in Thailand where robust populations have recently been documented.

The project has four components, each contributing to fishing cat conservation in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. The first of these is a regional review of fishing cat distribution and conservation status involving the compilation of all current and historical data on fishing cat occurrence throughout Southeast Asia.

The project's second component is a detailed ecological study of fishing cats in their natural habitat. This research has been initiated at Thale Noi Non-hunting Area, a 500 km Ramsar wetland area in southern Thailand and the only site in the country where fishing cats have been conclusively documented in the last 10 years. This component of the project will provide biologists with a solid foundation upon which to plan subsequent ecological research and conservation efforts.

A third component of the project seeks to take advantage of the project's live capture component to screen animals for the presence of several emerging zoonotic diseases. Avian influenza, SARS, and other diseases are now significant health concerns for both wildlife and human populations. We work collaboratively with regional partners to ensure that our work contributes to current disease research and monitoring efforts.

The fourth project component is education and outreach. Using the activities and results of the project as primary content, we use presentations, posters, and other tools to raise awareness of fishing cats and other wetland dependent species and encourage more sustainable use of the wetland landscapes upon which they depend.