The central concern revolved around this fact – the Fishing Cat has been endowed with the title – the State Animal of West Bengal – yet majority of Bengal does not know this. Hence, the Fishing Cat continues facing a combination of threats, apathy, and contradictions. For instance, it is not a Tiger but is beaten to death when people mistake it for one. Its habitat—wetlands ecosystems‐‐ are supposed to be protected by law but are also designated as wastelands, creating a loophole that facilitates their destruction. As wetlands continue to vanish, thrice as fast as forests, the fishing cat’s fate hangs in the balance, and so does ours. After all wetlands do and will protect us from adverse effects of climate change, provide us with water and food.

We explored this theme in our joint segment, which kicked off the much-awaited event.

First off, we engaged the audience in a game called ‘Web of Life’ to help them appreciate the mangrove ecosystem of the Sundarban forests. This was followed by the screening of a short film about the fishing cats of Chilika, created by The Fishing Cat Project Next, we facilitated a discussion on the vulnerable status of Kolkata’s wetlands and HEAL’s efforts to protect them. And to cap it off, we showed a heartwarming video that raises hope for the fishing cat’s survival in West Bengal.