Rare and Wild Cat Species Caught on Camera in Indonesia (PHOTOS)
Some rare and unique wild cats were captured on camera by the World Wild Fund in Indonesia that could give conservationists new information about the species in the Bukit Tigapuluh forest in Riau Province.
The five different species include the leopard cat, golden cat, marble cat, clouded leopard, and the elusive Sumatran tiger, according to Reuters. The WWF used camera traps in a forest corridor on the central Sumatra Island to get the photographs.
"These amazing cat photos also remind us of how much we could lose as more of these fragile forests are lost to logging, plantations and illegal encroachment,” said Karmila Parakkasi of the WWF-Indonesia Tiger Research Team.
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Indonesia, which is one of the last remaining sanctuaries for a number of other endangered species, including the Java rhino, is under a serious threat of losing its forest landscape due to excessive logging, deforestation, paper plantations and poaching.
Conservationists and animal-rights groups urged that more be done to protect the animals in the natural sanctuaries, including the species of cats most recently photographed.
The Sumatra Island is subject to “immediate review” by WWF authorities that want to expand the park or put it under a stricter restoration regime.
"The abundant evidence of these five wild cat species suggests that the concession licenses of companies operating in these areas, such as Barito Pacific, should be reviewed and adjusted according to Indonesian Ministry regulations, and should be protected by the concessionaire," said Aditya Bayunanda, coordinator for the WWF Global Forest Trade Network Programme.
The photographs of the cats were taken over a three-month period, which snapped more than 400 pictures of wildlife, including 226 of the only 400 Sumatran tigers remaining in the wild.
A video was captured, around the same time as the images, showing a Sumatran tiger mother and her three cubs playing in the foliage.
