In a very rare moment, an infrared camera set up in Chindu County recently captured a small Chinese Mountain Cat family in the wild.
This is the first time a family of Chinese Mountain Cats (Felis bieti) has been filmed on video in the wild, according to CGTN. The animal is listed as a second-class protected wild animal in China, as well as an endangered species — truly one of the rarest types of cat in the world.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter
A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.
Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.
Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.
It is unknown the exact population status of Chinese Mountain Cats, but there have been serious threats to their species particularly as a result of organized poisoning of Pika, which the animal’s main prey, according to Wild Cats Magazine. The nocturnal predators also hunt other animals in the wild for food such as birds and other rodents.
Human presence also poses dangers to the Chinese Mountain Cats. Wild Cat Conservation stated that locals often hunt these animals for their fur and make them accessories like small seating furs, waist bands, and warm hats for the winter season.
Chinese Mountain Cats are so rare that the very first picture of the animal that surfaced was back in 2007 after they were caught by a camera trap.
Images screenshot via YouTube / CGTN
