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HomeAURare Wild Cat Believed Extinct Spotted Again in Thailand After Three Decades

Rare Wild Cat Believed Extinct Spotted Again in Thailand After Three Decades

NewsFinale Journal
By NewsFinale Journal
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An elusive wild cat long feared extinct in Thailand has been rediscovered three decades after the last recorded sighting, conservation authorities and an NGO said on Friday.
Flat-headed cats are among the world’s rarest and most threatened wild felines. Their range is limited to Southeast Asia and they are endangered because of dwindling habitat.
The domestic cat-sized feline with its distinctive round and close-set eyes was last spotted in a documented sighting in Thailand in 1995.
But an ecological survey that began last year, using camera traps in southern Thailand’s Princess Sirindhorn Wildlife Sanctuary, recorded 29 detections, according to the country’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and wild cat conservation organisation Panthera.

The recent rediscovery of a rare species is a double-edged sword, sparking both excitement and concern within the scientific community. Kaset Sutasha, a veterinarian and researcher from Kasetsart University, expressed his apprehensions. He pointed out that habitat fragmentation is increasingly isolating this species, posing a significant threat to its survival.

Two people in camouflage uniform tying a wire to a tree

This ecological survey was a collaborative effort between Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) and Panthera Thailand. Their work sheds light on the current state of the species, although the exact number of individuals remains unclear due to the absence of distinctive markings, which complicates counting efforts.

The flat-headed cat, known for its nocturnal and elusive nature, inhabits dense wetland ecosystems. These include peat swamps and freshwater mangroves, which are notoriously difficult for researchers to access, further complicating efforts to study and protect this rare creature.
Globally, the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that around 2,500 adult flat-headed cats remain in the wild, classifying the species as endangered.
In Thailand, it has long been listed as “possibly extinct”.
Thailand’s peat swamp forests have been heavily fragmented, largely due to land conversion and agricultural expansion, said Kaset, who was not involved in the ecological survey but has researched wild cats for years.
The animals also face mounting threats from disease spread by domestic animals, and they struggle to reproduce across isolated areas.
While the rediscovery offers hope, it is only a “starting point” for future conservation efforts, he said.
“What comes after this is more important — how to enable them to live alongside us sustainably, without being threatened.”
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