New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Rare African golden cat caught on camera trap

Date:
November 12, 2013
Source:
Wildlife Conservation Society
Summary:
New camera trap footage from Uganda’s Kibale National Park shows a rarely seen African golden cat.
Share:
FULL STORY

The Wildlife Conservation Society and Panthera released camera trap footage today from Uganda's Kibale National Park showing a rarely seen African golden cat.

The cat was recorded scent-marking after it was attracted to a camera site "baited" with Calvin Klein Obsession for Men, which is frequently used by WCS scientists to attract cats and other wildlife to remote cameras.

WCS is supporting a study of these poorly known forest-dependent cats to better understand their conservation needs and how they may be affected by overhunting and deforestation.

The first known wild footage of a golden cat was taken in 2011 by Panthera scientists in Gabon. One surprising finding of this ongoing research is that these cats are not strictly nocturnal as previously thought, but "cathemeral" -- active both night and day. Nevertheless, most scientists working in Africa's rain forests have never seen a live specimen in the wild.

African golden cats live in tropical forests in West, Central, and East Africa. They can weigh up to 35 pounds (16 kilograms) and feed on birds, rodents, monkeys, and other mammals.


Story Source:

Materials provided by Wildlife Conservation Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

Wildlife Conservation Society. "Rare African golden cat caught on camera trap." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 November 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131112123329.htm>.
Wildlife Conservation Society. (2013, November 12). Rare African golden cat caught on camera trap. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131112123329.htm
Wildlife Conservation Society. "Rare African golden cat caught on camera trap." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131112123329.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES