Threats and Conservation
Threats:
Hunting for pelts (skin and fur) has been and continues to be widespread. In China “harvests” (I hate that euphemism which means killing for skin and fur) are huge – a lot of pelts go to Japan:
- Average annual kill 150,000 in China
- 1963 230,000 hunted in China
- 1980 and 1981, 200,000 killed for pelts in China
- Chinese government limits hunting to 150,000 annually (1989)
- In Sumatra young are taken for pets
- In India it is vulnerable
- The Amur cat (in Russia) is badly threatened (hunting commercially for pelts) and could be extirpated (destroyed)
- Generally they can be killed as pests for killing poultry
- Generally habitat loss and fragmentation is a major threat
In Sumatra its survival is linked to the Sumatran tiger in terms of protection. The Sumatran tiger is little protected in Sumatra. In fact, its habitat is being destroyed systematically by massive logging.
Conservation:
This wildcat is listed under Appendix I of CITES in relation to Bangladesh, Thailand and India and under Appendix II for the other countries. See CITES in relation to cats. And if you’d like to see IUCN for cats. This sets out a list of wildcats and their status in relation to their survival.
Hunting is banned in Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Taiwan, with regulations in place in S.Korea, Lao PDR, Singapore. Plus there are the protected areas (reserves, parks etc.).
Videos
Wide ranging diet!
In the video below the leopard cat can hear the water and is it seems instinctively drawn to it.
Asian leopard cat – Sources:
- The main source is Wild Cat of the World. Accuracy is a priority.
- Wikipedia
- Red List
- Flickr
- YouTube
- Encyclopaedia Britannica
That’s phx761@yahoo.com, in case it was blocked out above.
Thanks John, I think you will struggle to find an Asian leopard cat (ASL) that is somewhat domesticated even in America.
All that I want, is a purebred Asian Leopard Cat ,….in the 9 1/2, 10 to pound range, for a ((pet))! I already have a Bangel and he has been a pet for about (14) years, so I know a ‘Bangle’, being called an Asian Leopard Cat, in my sleep, lol, lol. Both of my Cousins have Female Mountain Lions, as pets and one frequently lets his kids play around them, etc. No, I don’t want the ‘lecture’ about it,my mom also has a Tabby/Bobcat, from Tucson and I’m not going to tell you where the ornery brat’s at! All that I want is a ((purebred Asian Leopard Cat Cub or young Male)). any volunteers???????????????????????
I like your honesty. You might know that I don’t like the idea of people keeping wild cats as pets. I am not alone in that thought. However, you are honest about it and you asked not to be lectured about it so I won’t do it. However, you might like to read the articles which are linked to below before trying to go ahead. I can remember reading an article in the Feline Conservation Federation magazine written by a person who kept, as I recall, more than one Asian leopard cat in an outside enclosure. He knew this wild cat species pretty well and he knew the temperament of this cat. He described the cat is highly independent and essentially unsuited to domestication. You can make of that what you will but I do remember that article and this particular species of wild cat is one that is probably the most unsuited to domestication. Others such as the margay and serval are known to be more suited.
https://pictures-of-cats.org/wildcat-parents-of-domestic-cats.html
http://cat-chitchat.pictures-of-cats.org/2014/05/serval-lynx-bobcat-and-asian-leopard.html
https://pictures-of-cats.org/f1-bengal-cat-callista-strike-force.html (this is a F1 Bengal cat – half ASL and half domestic cat)