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Leopard cat
recovering well after being rescued
By Ho Tsung-han / Staff reporter
An injured leopard cat strikes an
-aggressive pose in a cage as it recovers in Miaoli County yesterday.
Photo: Ho Tsung-han, Taipei Times
A leopard cat found last month in Miaoli
County’s Gongguan Township (公館) is recovering from injuries and dehydration, the
Miaoli County Unique Animals Preservation Association said yesterday.
The leopard cat is an indigenous wild cat that is endangered and protected.
According to research by National Pingtung University’s Institute of Wildlife
Conservation, there are fewer than 1,000 in the country.
Called leopard cats because of their leopard-like spots, the animals are marked
with twin white stripes across the forehead and are slightly larger than
domestic cats, but have long thick tails and are nocturnal carnivores.
The association said it found the leopard cat on Cianshan (淺山) in Gongguan with
its right front leg caught in a trap. Association director Lin Ching-chi (林清棋)
alerted the county’s Agriculture Department and sent the leopard cat to a
veterinarian.
The mating season for leopard cats is from December to April, and the routes the
cats take tend to follow the paths of their prey and are unpredictable, Lin
said, adding that the leopard cat the association found could have been caught
in the trap for as long as eight days.
There were maggots in its wounds and the cat was lucky that it rained recently
or it would have died of dehydration, Lin said. After the veterinarian amputated
the limb and injected the cat with nutrients, it gradually regained its health,
he added.
Meanwhile, the county’s Agriculture Department yesterday reminded the public
that if they found leopard cats preying on domestic animals, they should not
attempt to capture or kill them, but contact the local fire station.
Capturing or selling leopard cats is against the Wildlife Conservation Act
(野生動物保育法) and is punishable with a prison sentence of six months to five years,
along with a fine of NT$200,000 to NT$1 million, the department said.
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