Thailand’s Leopard Cat Rescue Center Prepares Cub Cubs for Wild Release

At the Department of National Parks and Wildlife’s rescue center in Khon Kaen, northeastern Thailand, a wildlife officer is feeding a leopard cat cub with formula milk while another officer holds the small feline. The center currently houses 15 rescued leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) that were rescued as cubs months earlier. Nine of the cats, aged 8–9 months, are scheduled for release into the forest that afternoon, while the remaining six younger cubs will remain in specialized behavioral rehabilitation pens for two months to practice climbing and hunting. Leopard cats are common across much of Asia and are classified by the IUCN as least concern, yet their populations face increasing threats from hunting and habitat loss. The cats often live near farms and villages, with females raising litters in sugarcane fields where tall leaves provide shelter.