Wetlands in lowland forests on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and the Malayan Peninsula.About me
I’m your typical cat in some ways, I’m active at night, my favorite meal is of the fish variety, and I roll alone. But, in other ways, I’m not your basic feline. I have webbed toes and prefer swimming across rivers to climbing in trees. You read that right, I actually prefer to swim. In fact, most sightings of me are near swampy areas, lakes and streams, and riverine forests.
I’m endangered, there are less than 2,500 Flat-headed cats like me in the wild. My survival is threatened by deforestation for Conflict Palm Oil and human settlement, draining peatlands for agriculture, pollution, and excessive hunting.
Fast Facts: Did you know?
I get my name from my unusually long, sloping snout and flattened skull roof, and my ears sit well down the sides of my head. The result: I always look grumpy, which is cool, because I’m not a “pet me” kind of cat.
I used to live in southern Thailand, but the last confirmed sighting was almost 20 years ago. I told you I was endangered.
Because of habitat loss, it’s very likely that the Flat-headed Cat population has declined by at least 20% in the last 12 years. *sigh*
The World Conservation Union has awarded me, and my fellow Flat-headed Cats, the highest conservation priority of any small southeast Asian wild cats. Seriously, please help us.