Flat-headed Cat Rediscovered in Thailand

The flat-headed cat, a rare and endangered wild feline, has been rediscovered in Thailand after being feared extinct in the country for three decades. An ecological survey, conducted by Thailand — Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and Panthera using camera traps in Princess Sirindhorn Wildlife Sanctuary, recorded 29 detections of the species. The findings, which included a female with her cub, suggest a relatively high concentration of the species in the area. Kaset Sutasha of Kasetsart University and Rattapan Pattanarangsan of Panthera highlighted the excitement of the rediscovery but also the concerns regarding habitat fragmentation and the need for future conservation efforts. Globally, International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates only about 2,500 adult flat-headed cats remain in the wild.