The
Leopard Cat lives a solitary lifestyle in an extremely broad range throughout
most of Asia. They are excellent hunters and their diet consists of hares, rodents,
fish and even young deer. As populations of bigger cats decline, poachers have
started targeting smaller cats to supply the fur trade. They are also highly
desired in the exotic pet trade. Their strong predation instincts make them
extremely difficult to domesticate and they spray a particularly
offensive scent to mark their territory.These two factors in particular make
them a lousy house pet...many people who acquire one realise its unsuitability
for their home fairly quickly. Fortunately this also makes them prime candidates
for re-release into the wild. Phnom Tamao has a highly successful soft release
program in place for this species. When deemed fit and healthy enough good candidates
are radio collared and are then relocated into forest enclosures which are left
open and replenished with food daily. The cats return less and less often to
supplement their diet and are tracked with their radio collars and camera traps.
All of their released cats are doing well and thriving in their protected forest.
Success stories are few and far between in the battle against the wildlife trade
and PTWRC should be applauded for their work with Leopard Cats.
