You’ve become aware of tigers, however have you become aware of “fire tigers”? These golden predators’ real name is the Asiatic golden feline, and they’re rather rare. A path webcam just recently caught one on video camera in Thailand’s Khao Sok National Park.
According to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, the Asiatic golden cat “is a rare wild animal on the brink of extinction.” The IUCN notes the types as near threatened and labels the population trend as “reducing.”
Asiatic golden cats are generally golden to reddish-brown, with black lines on their face and a white-tipped tail. Rarer forms of the Asiatic golden cat are dark brown or even black (melanistic).
In a Facebook post revealing the sighting in Khao Sok National Park, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation states that traditionally, regional people considered the animal to have “more relentless behavior than big tigers.”
“Fire tigers” are mostly nocturnal, though this one seems out during daylight hours. They eat rodents, birds, reptiles, pests, and small mammals. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Preservation states they likewise hunt animals bigger than themselves, such as wild deer and wild boar.
Golden felines live mostly in sub-tropical and tropical evergreen forests. Their range extends from Nepal and northeast India to southeast Asia, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Sumatra.
A trail camera recently captured a rare “fire tiger” or Asiatic golden cat on camera in Thailand’s Khao Sok National forest.