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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 First leopard cat sighted in Changhua found dead
A leopard cat lies in a road in Changhua County on Saturday after being run over by a vehicle. Photo: Yang Yu-ru, Taipei Times
By Liu Hsiao-hsin, Tang Shih-ming and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer
A leopard cat was found dead on a road in Changhua County’s Fenyuan Township （芬園） on Friday, which researchers said was the first sighting of the species in the county.
The leopard cat is on the verge of extinction, and it is regrettable that the first one to be seen in Changhua was found dead, Endemic Species Research Institute assistant researcher Lin Yu-hsiu （林育秀） said.
Lin said her office was initially skeptical when a report of the animal’s discovery on the roadside came in, saying the county’s surveillance cameras had never recorded one of the cats anywhere in the county.
The office also has no record of previous discoveries of injured or dead leopard cats in Changhua, she said.
One possibility is that the animal crossed into Changhua from Taichung’s Wufong District （霧峰）, Lin said, adding that the young cat might have left its mother and set off to expand its territory.
Another possibility is that the cats are also living in Changhua County’s Baguashan （八卦山）, but were unknown due to smaller numbers there, she said.
“This first sighting of a leopard cat in Changhua means we know too little about the animal and must invest more in research,” Lin said.
Friday’s discovery marks the seventh death from vehicle collision this year of a leopard cat, she said, adding that drivers must be made aware of the dangers of speeding to the animal.
The 3kg male cat, discovered by local resident Yang Shun-yu （楊順宇）, who was driving through the area at about 10am on Friday, had already swollen from heat when discovered.
Yang said he drove by the area again at about 12pm on the way back home and saw that the dead animal was still there, at which time he moved the body to the center median, took pictures of it and sent them to a friend who is a professor.
Environmental studies professor Yang Yu-ju （楊玉如） looked at the photographs and confirmed the animal to be a leopard cat, and called the institute to report the finding.
Yang Shun-yu said he always buries cats and dogs he finds dead on the road out of respect for life, adding that he has buried 10 animals to date.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
