Asian Golden Cat

The Asian golden cat is a medium-sized cat, two or three times the weight of a house cat, and it comes in an unusual number of colours: golden, cinnamon, brown, reddish, grey, spotted and black. White stripes edged in dark brown or black cross the cheeks and the inner corners of the eyes, the ears are rounded with black backs, and the underparts are pale. The tail is white beneath and its tip curls upward when it is carried. Males are larger than females (Wikipedia, general species account).

Across its range it is solitary and territorial, and climbs trees when needed. Records show animals active by day with a peak around noon. It takes birds, hares, rodents, reptiles and small deer, and can kill prey as big as a domestic buffalo calf. In one radio-collar study a male's territory covered 47.7 km² and a female's 32.6 km². It is threatened by poaching and habitat destruction.