Leopard cat struck by car in southern Thailand

A leopard cat is seriously injured after being hit by a car in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand on Monday.

A young man named Somchai (pseudonym) from Thung Kha Ngok subdistrict was driving his motorbike along the Phang Nga – Takua Pa route when he saw an animal get hit by a car.

He parked his motorbike to check on the animal lying still on the road. He said he thought it was a fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus). He said the cat was badly injured but still alive.

Somchai carefully picked up the injured wildcat and moved it out of the road onto the grass. He said he told the cat not to go anywhere while he coordinated help from the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station.

Officials from Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station collected the injured cat and took it back to the nursery to assess its injuries. They reported that the wild animal is a leopard cat, not a fishing cat.

They said the leopard cat’s health was in a bad way after the accident. Officials cleaned the cat’s wounds and injected antibiotics to treat the infection as well as saline solution.

Forest ranger Somchok Sukin, in charge of animal husbandry at Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station, said the leopard cat sustained injuries to its hip and legs, a wound on its tongue, and bite marks from other animals on its neck and spine, reports SiamRath.

The staff sadly informed reporters that if the leopard cat recovers, it will likely be disabled.

The leopard cat is a protected species in Thailand under the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act which prohibits hunting and possession.

In November, an adorable baby leopard cat who strayed away from Nam Nao National Park in Phetchabun province in northern Thailand returned home with the help of some good citizens.