NARATHIWAT– Conservation teams in southern Thailand have confirmed the flat-headed cat is still here, and it’s breeding, after almost 30 years without a verified record. The news, shared ahead of Thailand’s National Wildlife Protection Day, brings a much-needed lift for one of the rarest wild cats on Earth.
The new sightings come from the Princess Sirindhorn Wildlife Sanctuary (officially the Chalerm Phrakiat Somdet Phra Thep Rattanarajsuda Siam Boromrajakumari Wildlife Sanctuary) in Narathiwat province. The sanctuary covers the To Daeng peat swamp forest, one of the most important wetland habitats in Thailand’s far south.
The records were captured during a wide camera trap programme run by Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) alongside Panthera Thailand. Teams placed remote cameras in areas chosen using earlier research on wetland cats, such as fishing cats.
A Wetland Hunter Built for Water
The cameras logged 13 flat-headed cat detections in 2024, followed by 16 more in 2025. That is the highest number of records reported for this species anywhere across its range.
The photos and videos showed more than one cat. One set included a female with her cub, strong proof that the population is surviving and reproducing in these hard-to-reach swamps.
The flat-headed cat (Prionailurus planiceps) is small, close in size to a domestic cat. Adults weigh around 1.5 to 2.5 kilograms. It’s easy to spot in images once you know the signs: a low, flattened forehead, a longer skull, small, rounded ears set low, and partially webbed feet. These features suit a life spent around water.
This cat hunts where most others won’t. It targets fish, frogs, and crustaceans, and it will push its head underwater to catch prey. Its coat is reddish-brown on the head, shifting to a darker roan brown along the body, with a pale, lightly marked underside. That colouring helps it disappear into peat swamp shade and riverside forest.
The species occurs in scattered pockets across Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and has now been confirmed again in southern Thailand. It’s also one of the least studied wild cats. It moves mostly at night and sticks to habitats that are difficult for people to access.
Flat-Headed Cat Under Pressure
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the flat-headed cat as Endangered since 2008. Global estimates sit at around 2,500 mature animals. In Thailand, it had been treated as “possibly extinct” after the last confirmed record in 1995.
Its biggest threat is the loss of wetlands. Peat swamps have been cleared and drained for oil palm, farming, housing, and fish ponds. Dirty waterways, hunting, and diseases passed on by domestic animals add to the risk. Across South East Asia, more than 70 percent of its known habitat has been lost or badly damaged. That leaves small groups cut off from one another.
These new records highlight how much protected areas matter. DNP Director General Atthapol Charoenchansa called the finding a landmark moment, pointing to long-term protection, research partnerships, and local support, even with the added challenges of working in a border region.
Conservation staff, including Rattapan Pattanarangsan from Panthera Thailand, said the results show what can happen when habitat is properly guarded. The teams plan to submit the updated information to the IUCN, which could lead to a fresh review and the removal of the “possibly extinct” label for Thailand.
The risks have not gone away. The peat swamp forest still faces encroachment and the growing impacts of climate stress. Veterinarian Kaset Sutasha from Kasetsart University warned that broken-up habitat can keep populations isolated, raising the odds of local loss unless protection and restoration improve.
As Thailand ends the year with rare good news, the flat-headed cat’s return is a clear reminder of the country’s wildlife riches and what it takes to keep them. From Chiang Rai’s hills to the wetlands of the deep south, stories like this show that steady care can give even the most secretive animals a chance.
