Protected jungle cats – Cats are one of the most popular animals in the world, even causing the creation of a new business world. That is the world of cats.
But did you know that apparently not all types of cats can be kept in the world? There are several types of jungle cats that are protected by the government and cannot be kept.
The prohibition has even made the government in Indonesia dare to publish PP Law No.7 of 1999 and also Law No.5 of 1990 regarding the protection and growth of animals in Indonesia.
Anyone who dares to violate and keep protected animals can be threatened with criminalization and imprisonment.
So be careful cat lovers, you should not play with these laws and regulations.
Well, here I share the types of protected jungle cats that should not be kept.
1. Kuwuk cat
Kuwuk cats are one of the wildlife protected by the government because of their decreasing population. Cats with the Latin name “Prionailurus javanensis” can be found in the forests of Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan.
The cause of the decrease in the population of kuwuk cats is the rampant hunting of these animals to be traded both alive and dead. For example, as happened in China and Myanmar, this cat is often sought because its skin is used as raw material for a leather product.
Kuwuk cats have a fairly small body size. The size is almost like the body size of a domestic cat, just slimmer. Then for the length of the body ranges from 30-66 cm and weighs up to 3 kg.
Do you know yet? What is the ideal weight of a cat?
The number of kuwuk forest cats is claimed to continue to decline every year, even though the population of kuwuk cats is relatively low for small cats. Only between 9.6 to 16.5 individuals/100 km2.
As of 2015, the international organization IUCN has listed the kuwuk cat as low risk on its red list.
2. Tandang cat
The tandang cat or in Latin is called “Prionailurus Planiceps“. The spread of this cat covers the Thai-Malay region, Kalimantan and Sumatra. Despite being in a wide range of forests, the fact that this cat managed to enter the type of jungle cat protected by the Indonesian government.
With the increasingly widespread hunting of this cat, in 2008 the international wildlife protection organization, the IUCN, has included the Tandang Cat as an animal that must be protected.
For this reason, even if you are tempted to own this animal, you should not. Because it is protected by law. Once you violate it, you will be punished.
3. Mangrove Cat
Mangrove cats have the lati name “Prionailurus viverrinus” and are cats that live in wet forest areas, for example, the forests of Sumatra and Kalimantan which have a tropical or wet climate.
The interesting thing is that mangrove cats are different from domestic cats that don’t like water. Because it turns out that this type of cat is instead looking for food on the riverbank. So it is certain that mangrove cats are good at swimming and diving to find their prey/food.
If you ask why mangrove cats are good at swimming? Then the answer is in the membrane between its toes that is useful for swimming in river water.
A characteristic of mangrove cats is their size which is much larger than the size of other Prionailurus cats. Just imagine the length of their head to the body usually ranges from 57-78 cm, with a short tail of 20-30 cm and the weight of this cat ranges from 5-16 kg.
The color or motif of the mangrove cat is white in the lower part of the body, and the back of the ears on the cat is black with white spots in the middle. Then there is a pair of dark lines in the throat area, as well as a number of black rings around the tail.
Because of this beauty, the cat was internationally recognized as endangered in 2008. Due to unnatural poaching, the population continues to decrease.
4. Sunda Limb Cat
Sundanese cats or clouded leopards are one type of animal that lives in the Sunda Islands region, precisely in Kalimantan and Sumatra. This animal also has a Latin name, namely “Neofelis diardi“.
This Sunda Limb Cat has a body length of about 90 cm with a body weight of up to 25 kg. Pretty big.
The estimated population of this cat is around 5,000 to 11,000 in Kalimantan. While in Sumatra it is estimated that 3,000 to 7,000 remain. Population shrinkage is thought to have occurred due to habitat loss and poaching.
Over the years, the numbers have decreased so much that even international organizations have included it as a protected animal.
5. Red Cat
The red cat has the Latin name “Pardofelis badia” or “Catopuma badia” and is a truly endangered animal. There are so few populations of this animal, even the information is difficult to dig up.
The characteristics of this cat are that it has light brown fur and a paler lower body. then the fur on the legs and tail is slightly pale and red.
Then the tail is slightly lengthened and tapering at the end with a blend of white lines on the lower side and the color becomes whiter when to the tip. Not only that but there is also a small black spot at the top end of the tail.
The ears of this cat look round and the color of the fur on the outside is blackish brown, while the inside is lighter in color.
6. Golden Cat
Golden cats are commonly called Fire cats, this animal is one of the animals that is prevented from extinction. The golden cat or “Catopuma temminicki” is one of 7 cat species that are allowed to live in the Kerinci Seblat National Park area.
Moreover, golden cats are also scattered in the forests of Sumatra. For its own size, this cat has a fairly large body. The body length alone can reach 116 to 161 cm and weighs between 12-15 kilograms. Steady, isn’t it?
7. Stone Cat
The rock cat has the Latin name “Pardofelis marmorata” and has been categorized as an endangered species since 2002. This small stone cat is distributed in the forests of South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The stone cat is a species that has little information about it. In fact, I also found it quite difficult to dig up information about the characteristics of this cat.
8. Javan Leopard
The Javan leopard has another name panther and has the Latin name “Panthera pardus melas“. This species of the tiger can only be found in the forest areas of Java Island, Kangean Island, Nusakambangan Island, and Sempu Island.
For body size, the Javan leopard has a body length of about 90 – 150 cm with a height of about 60 – 95 cm and a weight of 40-60 kg.
This type of tiger is included in one of the endemic animals on the island of Java. This means that it only exists on the island of Java.
For its type, this panther has two variations of leopard color, which are light colors and dark colors.
The dark variation in leopards is usually considered a different species and is known as the panther.
According to data from the international wildlife organization IUCN, it is estimated that there are only 250 tigers left in their habitats in 2018.
9. Sumatran Tiger
The Sumatran tiger has the Latin name “Panthera tigris sumatrae“. This type of tiger can only be found in the Sumatra Forest region.
Sumatran tigers are the only tiger sub-species that still survive in Indonesia. While other types, such as the Javanese Tiger and Balinese Tiger have been extinct. Tigers are the largest cat species in Indonesia.
For its body size, the Sumatran tiger has an average length of 2.5 m from head to tail and weighs up to 140 kg.
The population of Sumatran tigers continues to decrease every year. The international organization IUCN notes that the number of Tigers that still survive in their natural habitat is estimated to range from 400-500 tigers.
This type of cat has been included in the red list which means its existence is only one step away from becoming extinct.
