DNP / Panthera
Conservationists are celebrating the rediscovery of the flat-headed cat, after camera traps recorded a specimen of the feline in Thailand for the first time in almost three decades.
A team of researchers managed to photograph a rare feline in Thailand that had not been seen in the country for almost 30 years — and it is absolutely adorable.
Malaysian flat-headed cats, (Prionailurus planiceps), so called due to the flat shape of their heads, inhabit small scattered areas in Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, but were feared to be extinct in Thailand.
Researchers rediscovered the animals thanks to automatic cameras installed at the Princess Sirindhorn Wildlife Sanctuary between 2024 and 2025 — the first records of this feline in Thailand since 1995.
The rediscovery was announced this Friday, which coincides with National Wildlife Protection Day in Thailand, by the feline conservation organization.
“For decades, the flat-headed cat was considered ‘probably extinct,’ but after years of continued protectionstrong scientific partnerships and community engagement, we can now celebrate its return to Thailand,” he said Suchart ChomklinMinister of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, in a statement cited by .
Flat-headed cats have webbed feetadapted to traverse wetlands, such as waterlogged peat forests, where they are thought to hunt mainly fish.
However, researchers know very little about the life of this species. This is the smallest feline in Southeast Asiaweighing around 2 kilos — less than a domestic cat — and is rarely seen by human beings.
The last assessment carried out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in 2014, concluded that the flat-headed cat was in danger.
The main threats to the species are loss and degradation of their habitats humid areas and lowland forests, as well as other human pressures, such as overfishing and hunting.
Researchers looked for the feline in remote areas of Thailand, in what Panthera describes as “the largest research ever on the speciesThis work is part of a new assessment led by Panthera for the IUCN on the flat-headed cat, which is expected to be published in early 2026.
Automatic cameras recorded several copiesincluding a female with a calf, which demonstrates that not only live in the south of Thailandas are also being reproduce in the region.
“The rediscovery of the flat-headed cat in southern Thailand represents a important victory for conservationboth in the country and throughout Southeast Asia, where the species still exists”, he highlighted Atthapol Charoenchansadirector-general of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, in the same statement.
