Physical description of Borneo Bay Cats
The bay cat is maroon, though sometimes more grey-coloured with a white stripe on the belly. It has dark, rounded ears. It weighs about 3-4 kg, making it slightly smaller than the size of a domestic cat.
Distribution and habitat of Borneo Bay Cats
The Borneo Bay Cat is endemic to Borneo. It is found throughout the island, with the exception of the extreme south and the coastal areas.
The bay cat lives in dense forest. It has been spotted from the lowland rivers to the highlands, although the particular areas favored by the cat is unknown to date.
Borneo Bay Cat behaviour
As the cat is seldom seen, it is difficult to determine its behaviors and traits. It would appear that hunting is undertaken at night and that the cat is generally nocturnal. Hunting is most likely on the ground, but this is unconfirmed. It could be arboreal, like the clouded leopard. However, most sightings have been on ground level.
What do Borneo Bay Cats eat?
The Borneo bay cat feeds on small rodents, birds and carrion. Despite being a small cat, it has been known to attack larger animals. How often this occurs is vague when it is challenging to study the cat in the Jungle.
Conservation status and human impact on Borneo Bay Cats
The cat is protected across Borneo. So little is known about this enigmatic species that it is difficult to specify how many individuals are alive or precisely where they live. The IUCN status is endangered.
Other important information about Borneo Bay Cats
The Borneo bay cat is the rarest cat species.
Only seven specimen animals have been studied, principally at the end of the 19th Century. One was ‘recently’ discovered in the early 1990s. However, the increasing accessibility and cost of camera traps has led to a few more recent sightings and more data for researchers.
It is closely related to the Asiatic golden cat, although it is a distinct species.
