Two baby leopard cats rescued in Phichit province
Two tiny leopard cats left by their mother in a sugarcane plot in Phichit's Sam Ngam district were recently rescued by officials from Protected Areas Regional Office 12 (Nakhon Sawan).
The female kittens, which are about a month old, are healthy, have no injuries, and are able to drink milk suited to their species.
Those kittens are now familiar with humans and play non-stop, officials said, adding that they would be fed milk until they reach 12 weeks, at which point they can start consuming meat.
These kittens will be moved to Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Breeding Station in Uthai Thani when they are five months old to learn survival skills in the wild before being released.
Pimchanok Songmongkol, a veterinarian with Protected Areas Regional Office 12, said the kittens have been named "Juk" and "Pia", respectively.
"Leopard cats cannot be pets because they are wild carnivores. These cats will become ferocious as they grow up," she warned.
The leopard cat is a small wild cat native to continental South, Southeast, and East Asia.
Since 2002, it has been listed as of Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as it is widely distributed although threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range.
