World’s Most Elusive and Endangered Cat Caught on Film

Researchers in Malaysian Borneo have captured the world’s most elusive and endangered cat on film. The beautiful Bornean bay cat, Catopuma badia, is so rare; a live cat was not even photographed until 1998!

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Although the amazing video only lasts seven seconds, the chestnut-red cat with the long tail can be clearly seen walking through the forest.  Because so little is known about this particular wild cat, even its eating habits are unknown. 

Andrew Hearn and Joanna Ross, researchers from the United Kingdom’s Global Canopy Programme’s Bornean Wild Cat & Clouded Leopard Project, have been surveying five species of wild cats of Borneo for several years.  Their work has uncovered some remarkable findings.  Besides capturing the world’s first ever video of the rare cat, the two are also credited for snapping the first photograph of a live bay cat.  Based in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah, camera trapping and radio-tracking methods are utilized in their research.   The program also provides educational materials, community surveys and training courses as well. 

ALong with numerous photographs, the Bornean bay cat video footage is available on the MongaBay website.

Bornean Bay Cat

Endemic to the forests of Borneo, threats to this elusive animal include illegal pet trade, poaching, deforestation and habitat loss largely due to palm oil plantations.  Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, it is estimated that only 2,500 Bornean bay cats remain in the wild today.

Drawing by Joseph Wolf

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