Palangka Raya, C Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The Central Kalimantan Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) is striving to save four species of wild cats in Kalimantan which are now threatened by diminution and poaching.
Chief of the agency Nur Patria Kurniawan said here on Thursday that the four species of wild cats are flat-faced cat (Prionailurus planiceps), red cat (Catopuma badia), stone cat (Pardofelismarmorata), and clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), he informed in Palangka Raya, capital of Central Kalimantan Province.
Besides wild cats, Kalimantan is also home to leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), which have been accorded the "least concern" (LC) conservation status, or are at low risk of extinction.
However, he acknowledged, that the data on the wild cat population in Kalimantan is very limited. It was the reason that the BKSDA Office in Central Kalimantan held a workshop in collaboration with the Borneo Nature Indonesia (BNF) Foundation on June 23, 2022, Kurniawan said.
The workshop, which focused on developing a strategy for conserving wild cats in Central Kalimantan, featured speakers from various government and private institutions, universities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
"The event also aimed to provide information on opportunities for conducting research on and conserving protected wild cats in Central Kalimantan province," he said.
In addition, it sought to gather initial information on the existence of wild cats, assess the main threat to the survival of wild cats, and develop a precise conservation strategy to protect the wild cat species facing the threat of extinction, he informed.
The BKSDA Office has been installing trap cameras at different sites since 10 years ago.
The first trap camera was installed in Sebangau National Park and the second in Rungan landscape, which comprises a mosaic forest—a mix of peat swamp forest, heath forest, and dipterocarp lowland forest.
A total of 20 trap cameras were installed in the highland rainforest landscape in the Barito Hulu area in 2021. Red cats have been spotted in Rungan and Barito Hulu landscapes.
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