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Chen, M.-T.
Training and monitoring of orphan leopard cats by soft release in Miaoli County, north-western Taiwan
2021  Book Chapter

The Leopard cat (_Prionailurus bengalensis_) is a common wild felid distributed throughout Asia. It is listed as Least Concern by IUCN Red List. However the subspecies _P. bengalensis rabori_ occurring on the Philippine islands is listed as Vulnerable, and the subspecies _P. bengalensis iriomotensis_ occurring on Iriomote Island in Japan is considered Critically Endangered. Although the leopard cats adapt to diverse habitats, a combination of factors including human encroachment, habitat loss and fragmentation, and commercial exploitation have threatened leopard cats in many of their historic ranges. Road kills, the competition and spread of disease caused by invasive carnivores (e.g. dogs and cats), as well as killed in retribution for poultry damage, were all considered the threats to leopard cats across most of its Asian range. The populations of Bangladesh, India and Thailand are included in CITES Appendix I, while all other populations are included in Appendix II. In Taiwan, it is listed as Endangered in the Wildlife Conservation Act since 2009 (Council of Agriculture, 2009). This research was conducted in Miaoli County (24ø17'N-24ø44'N, 120ø43'E-121ø15'E) where is one of three counties (Miaoli, Taichung and Nantou) that where still have viable population of Leopard cats in northwestern Taiwan. Seven orphans were rescued and were later released at or near the site where they were found from 2012 to 2015, and the soft-release techniques were used. Past and recent human settlement and activities have contributed to a high level disturbance in this research area.

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