Rare & Critically Endangered Leopard Cat Spotted On 21 Jan
More than just a concrete jungle, Singapore is home to a multitude of wildlife species.
Sometime around midnight on Friday (21 Jan), founder of Wildlife Asia Singapore John Lee spotted a rare and endangered leopard cat.
He even managed to capture photos of the leopard cat with his mobile phone.
Lee said that seeing this elusive animal has been on his bucket list for years.
Stumbled across skittish leopard cat
According to the post, Lee said he was actually searching for a snake and was pleasantly surprised when he stumbled across the leopard cat.
Sensing his presence, the leopard cat became skittish and nervous.
Lee hurriedly took the chance and used his mobile phone to capture a few pictures of the rare feline.
Image courtesy of John Lee
Before he could get more photos of it, it ran off into the thick grass and disappeared.
About 20 leopard cats on mainland Singapore
The leopard cat is so rare that it is estimated that there are only about 20 on Singapore’s mainland.
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Although leopard cats are about the same size as domestic cats, they are visibly more slender and tend to have longer legs.
Unlike domestic cats, leopard cats have webs between their toes.
Image courtesy of John Lee
Additionally, they have spotted bodies and small heads with 2 dark stripes running from the top of their head to their eyes.
They also tend to have a short and narrow white muzzle.
Wildlife enthusiasts celebrate the miracle
When Lee’s sighting was shared on Singapore Wildlife Sightings Facebook Page, it was received with great enthusiasm.
This netizen recalled fond memories of seeing leopard cats when he was growing up. Back then, they were still a common sighting in the Thomson Nature Park area.
Many others were heartened to discover that these rare leopard cats are still alive and well in Singapore.
Netizens also shared their hopes that such wildlife would thrive even in urban Singapore.
Hope for more wildlife sightings
While many of us spend most of our time in the concrete jungles of Singapore, it is heartening to see that wildlife is still teeming on our island city.
If you’re fortunate enough to come across the leopard cat or other wild animals, do remember to keep a safe distance from them.
After all, we can always admire these creatures from afar without disturbing them or endangering ourselves.
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Featured image courtesy of John Lee.
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