This is the fearsome meow of this mysterious feline (video)

We know very little about this mysterious feline, but one thing is certain: the sound it makes is fit for a horror movie.

There are many strictly protected feline species worldwide, but perhaps none as mysterious as the Borneo bay cat. For a long time, it wasn’t even recognized as a separate species—it was thought to be a Borneo variation of the Asian golden cat.

A chance discovery

Everything we know today about the Borneo bay cat is due to coincidences. The first living specimen, an adult female cat, was brought to the Sarawak Museum in 1992. The poor creature was in terrible condition—captured by natives using traps and kept in captivity for months before it was realized what they had. This was the first time researchers had the opportunity to study a live specimen. Unfortunately, the cat died shortly after being brought to the museum, but its presence allowed for genetic studies, revealing it to be a distinct species, not a subspecies of the Asian golden cat.

The first recordings of the bay cat were also thanks to chance. Researchers from the Borneo Clouded Leopard Program, which aimed to study and protect this and other endangered species, were the first to capture footage of the animal.

The first photo of a live, healthy Borneo bay cat appeared in 1998, and since then, only sporadic recordings have been made of the species.

Characteristics

The Borneo bay cat is roughly the size of a small domestic cat, weighing around 3-4 kilograms. It comes in two color variants, the more common chestnut brown and the rarer grey. The coat is marked with black spots, and the back of its rounded ears is darker. Its head is small and round as well. Dark stripes extend from the eyes, meeting at the back of the head in an M-shape. The long tail has a white stripe along the underside, with its tip white below and black above.

As shown in the video below, the bay cat appears as a very muscular and large predator. It’s fascinating to see that this impressive body is actually quite small.

Habitat

As the name suggests, the bay cat is found only on the island of Borneo. Very little is known about how many individuals live on the island. The species’ survival is most threatened by habitat loss; deforestation is steadily reducing the areas suitable for the cat.

Lifestyle

There is very little research or observational data on the life of the Borneo bay cat. Its reproduction is unknown; we don’t know how many kittens are born, how long the mother cares for them, or how long the cats live.

We also don’t know what kind of social system the individuals live in. The researchers from the Bornean Clouded Leopard Program managed to observe two cats but couldn’t determine what relationship they had with each other.

As a feline, it is assumed that the bay cat hunts small animals in its surroundings.

Communication

Like all cats, the Borneo bay cat communicates with a meowing-like sound. What’s particularly interesting is how it combines meowing with a purring-like chirping, creating a very unique sound.

The future of the species

Due to the rarity of the Borneo bay cat and the lack of information about it, predicting its future is very difficult. Captive breeding programs are impossible, and habitat destruction and illegal wildlife trade further diminish its chances.

In 2014, the International Union for Conservation of Nature estimated the population to be around 2,200, but this number has undoubtedly decreased drastically since then. Other wild cats also appear on the list of endangered species, including the African black-footed cat, the leopard cat, and the fishing cat.