Sinclair
12-09-2005, 01:28 PM
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/12/06/Borneo-carnivore0512.html
A cat-like animal that appears to be a new species of carnivore has been photographed in Borneo, biologists say.
The animal has dark red fur, a long tail and looks like a cross between a cat and fox. It has small ears and large hind legs.
It was photographed twice at night by a camera trap set in the jungles of the Indonesian side of Borneo island.
"We showed the photos of the animal to locals who know the wildlife of the area, but nobody had ever seen this creature before," said Stephan Wulffraat, a biologist who is co-ordinating the World Wildlife Fund's research on this species.
"We also consulted several Bornean wildlife experts and most were convinced it was a new species," he added in a statement.
Researchers plan to set cage traps to catch a live specimen, which they say could be a new species of marten or civet cat.
The carnivore lives in a protected habitat of Kayan Mentarang National Park. The environmental group aims to help conserve rainforests in Borneo, which are threatened by rubber and oil palm plantations.
The animal was first photographed in 2003. The group published the photos Tuesday as part of a book release.
Pretty interesting. Wonder why it took so long for the pics to get released though.
A cat-like animal that appears to be a new species of carnivore has been photographed in Borneo, biologists say.
The animal has dark red fur, a long tail and looks like a cross between a cat and fox. It has small ears and large hind legs.
It was photographed twice at night by a camera trap set in the jungles of the Indonesian side of Borneo island.
"We showed the photos of the animal to locals who know the wildlife of the area, but nobody had ever seen this creature before," said Stephan Wulffraat, a biologist who is co-ordinating the World Wildlife Fund's research on this species.
"We also consulted several Bornean wildlife experts and most were convinced it was a new species," he added in a statement.
Researchers plan to set cage traps to catch a live specimen, which they say could be a new species of marten or civet cat.
The carnivore lives in a protected habitat of Kayan Mentarang National Park. The environmental group aims to help conserve rainforests in Borneo, which are threatened by rubber and oil palm plantations.
The animal was first photographed in 2003. The group published the photos Tuesday as part of a book release.
Pretty interesting. Wonder why it took so long for the pics to get released though.