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Chen, N.; Li, L.; Shan, S.; Yufeng, Y.; Sanderson, J.
Status of the Chinese Mountain Cat in Sichuan Province (China)
2005 Cat News (43): 25-27
In an effort to locate free-ranging _Felis bieti_, the so-called Chinese mountain cat, we undertook an expedition to Ganzi Prefecture in western Sichuan Province, China. We searched skin shops, interviewed former hunters, and local pastoralists to determine the existence of this little-known small felid. We found five skins of _F. bieti_ for sale in three towns along our route. Former hunters and townspeople we interviewed were either unfamiliar or confused regarding the cat's existence. Local pastoralists provided excellent information however. _F. bieti_ is restricted to high elevation steppe grassland and does not occur in true desert or heavily forested mountains. Perhaps _F. bieti_ should henceforth be commonly referred to as the Chinese steppe cat. A better understanding of the ecology, behavior, and threats to _F. bieti _is needed.
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