Little Wild Cat

Cats have always been an integral part of human art, mythology, politics, and science. In Cataplisms, our latest project, we attempt to explore the world through a feline lens, pulling from the works of anthropologists, conservationists, researchers and artists. In this new series, Herding Cats, visualised by Faraway Originals and produced by Dark ‘n’ Light, we bring to you six short films narrated by experts on conservation, art, and science. From farms near Pune to Chilika lake to the forests of North East India, stay tuned as we delve into these diverse and compelling stories of the littlest of the wild felines, enigmatic grassland predators, cats in conflict with humans, fishing cats, and more.

In Little Wild Cat, our first film, Neha Panchamiya, the founder of RESQ Charitable Trust, takes us into the world of the small and fierce rusty-spotted cats, who live closer to us than we might think. RESQ, in collaboration with the Maharashtra Forest Department, has worked with over a dozen rusty-spotted cats since 2020, rescuing them from the prospect of a life in captivity, and getting them ready to be released back into the wild. It is a delicate task that takes months of protection and training while ensuring that the cats remain wild. This is the story of their very first rescue, internally referred to by the team as Numero Uno.

Little Wild Cat has won an award for “Excellence” at the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival, a sister festival to the Docs Without Borders International Film Festival and the Depth of Field International Film Festival, a FilmFreeway “Top 100 Reviewed” festival, which accepts films and documentaries from across the world.