Two jungle cats have been spotted at Omkoi Wildlife Sanctuary in Chiang Mai, the first time the species has been seen roaming wild in Thailand for more than 40 years, the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department's director-general Thanya Nethithamkul says.
The jungle cats, a male and female were spotted at the sanctuary by research assistants from Doi Chiang Dao Wildlife Research Station led by Jirat Kham-Auy. The team was trying to conduct a study of wild animals in the sanctuary, Mr Thanya said Thursday.
The director-general refused to reveal where exactly the two rare wild felines were found.
Freelance photographer Parinya Padungtin, who was with the team conducting the study, took photos of the wild animals. Many wildlife experts believed they were extinct in Thailand.
"It was so exciting to discover these cats still exist in Thai forests," Mr Thanya said. Jungle cats have not been seen in forests in Thailand for more than 40 years, he said.
The animals were last seen in a wildlife survey in Thailand in 1976 conducted by physician-turned-conservationist Boonsong Lekagul.
In Thailand, there are few or no records or research studies about jungle cats, Mr Thanya said.
The status of these cats in the wild needs further study, he added.
"We thought jungle cats were lost to our forests. Locals have claimed to have seen them but there was no evidence proving their existence. But this time, we have a picture to show their presence," Mr Thanya said.
The presence of these cats indicates a healthy forest in the Omkoi Wildlife Sanctuary, he added.
Mr Thanya said he has ordered forest rangers to intensify efforts to conduct a population count of the jungle cats.
According to Saksith Sincharoen, head of the research assistant team, the jungle cat is a variety of Felis silvestris, a genus of small cat species.
Jungle cats inhabit places with adequate water and dense vegetation such as swamps and deciduous forests. They are also known as "swamp cats".
They weigh around 4-6kg, Mr Saksith said.