Local resident Jindarat Radchawongsa reported that her sister first saw the leopard cat while driving home on Nov 30, explained Piyawat Sukont, Chief of the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Non-Hunting Area in Thalang.
“The sister saw a cat being attacked by a dog at Phanason Kathu Village, and called a rescue foundation to safely recover the cat,” he told The Phuket News.
The woman had no idea that the cat was a wildcat indigenous to the region, as it is no larger than a regular domesticated feline, Chief Piyawat explained.
“She learned that it was a leopard cat only after she got home and saw what people said after she posted photos on Facebook,” he added.
“After she learned what the cat really is, we received a call to come and collect it, and we took it to a wildlife rescue shelter in Phuket to be treated for its injuries,” Chief Piyawat added.
“The leopard cat had suffered injuries around its rear legs and tail, and we had to make sure the cat was strong enough to survive on its own before we released it back into the wild,” he added.
– Nattarika Akekeaw and Mukdawan Janyaporn