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