“`html
Camera trap images verified the continuous presence of flat-headed cats within Thailand.(Image credit: DNP/Panthera Thailand)ShareShare by:
- Copy link
- X
Share this article 3Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletter
In Thailand, researchers have managed to photograph an uncommon feline not observed for approximately 30 years in the nation — and it’s charming.
Characterized by their flattened craniums, Flat-headed cats (Prionailurus planiceps) inhabit dispersed regions across Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, but they were assumed to be gone from Thailand.
During 2024 and 2025, researchers located the felines once again using distant camera traps situated inside Thailand’s Princess Sirindhorn Wildlife Sanctuary — marking the initial instances of detection in Thailand since 1995. The cat preservation group Panthera publicized the finding on Friday (Dec. 26), which corresponds with Thailand’s yearly Wildlife Protection Day.
You may like
-
Asian golden cat: The ‘feline of many costumes’ that plucks birds before eating them
-
People in China lived alongside ‘chicken-killing tigers’ long before domestic cats arrived
-
Scientists find rare tusked whale alive at sea for the first time — and shoot it with a crossbow
“For a long time, the flat-headed cat was categorized as ‘probably extinct,’ but due to years of continuous protection, robust scientific cooperation, and communal management, we now have reason to rejoice over its comeback to Thailand on this National Wildlife Day,” voiced Suchart Chomklin, Thailand’s minister responsible for Natural Resources and Environment, in an official statement.
Flat-headed cats feature webbed paws that allow them to navigate marshland habitats, like inundated peat-swamp woodlands, considered the primary hunting territories for this species focusing on fish. Nevertheless, minimal facts regarding their lives have been identified by researchers. This puzzling feline is the tiniest within Southeast Asia, possessing a weight of approximately 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms) — smaller than an average housecat — and is infrequently spotted by humans.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) most recent assessment of the species, conducted during 2014, determined that flat-headed cats were in peril. They are mainly endangered due to the diminishment and deterioration of their wetland ecosystems and lower-altitude forests, along with other anthropogenic pressures such as excessive fishing and hunting practices.
Researchers commenced exploring distant zones of Thailand, aiming to locate the cats, in a quest labeled by Panthera as the “most extensive survey of this species ever undertaken.” This endeavor comprises a segment of a novel Panthera-directed IUCN valuation of flat-headed cats, which Panthera anticipates releasing in early 2026.
RELATED STORIES
—People in China lived alongside ‘chicken-killing tigers’ long before domestic cats arrived
—Grumpy-looking Pallas’s cat photographed by camera trap in stunning photo from eastern Himalayas
—Jaguar in Brazil smashes record for the species’ longest documented swim
The employment of camera traps led to the documentation of multiple flat-headed cats, notably including a mother alongside her offspring, thus validating not only their current existence in southern Thailand but also their reproductive activities within this specific area.
“The rediscovery of the flat-headed cat situated in southern Thailand signifies a notable triumph concerning conservation efforts throughout Thailand and the wider region of southeast Asia where they continue to exist,” expressed Atthapol Charoenchansa, the director general presiding over Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, as conveyed in his statement.
Patrick PesterSocial Links NavigationTrending News Writer
Patrick Pester authors trending news for Live Science. His journalistic endeavors have also appeared on other scientific online platforms, such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick transitioned into journalism subsequent to dedicating his initial professional period to activities in zoological parks and wildlife preservation. He gained the Master’s Excellence Scholarship to attend Cardiff University for a master’s program in international journalism. Furthering his education, he also secured a second master’s degree specializing in biodiversity, evolution and conservation in action from Middlesex University London. When not engaged in composing news articles, Patrick delves into investigations concerning the trade of human remains.
Show More Comments
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
LogoutRead more
Asian golden cat: The ‘feline of many costumes’ that plucks birds before eating them
Scientists find rare tusked whale alive at sea for the first time — and shoot it with a crossbow
Last of its kind dodo relative spotted in a remote Samoan rainforest
Pumas in Patagonia started feasting on penguins — but now they’re behaving strangely, a new study finds
Haunting image of a rare hyena lurking in a ghost town wins 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award
Spinosaurus relative longer than a pickup truck stalked Thailand’s rivers 125 million years ago
Latest in Animals
Spinosaurus relative longer than a pickup truck stalked Thailand’s rivers 125 million years ago
Science history: Dian Fossey found murdered, after decades protecting gorillas that she loved — Dec. 27, 1985
Cats meow more at men to get their attention, study suggests
Last of its kind dodo relative spotted in a remote Samoan rainforest