A rare leopard cat found at a hospital construction site in HCM City has been sent to the Cat Tien National Park in Dong Nai Province. — Photo nld.com.vn

The 5kg cat, scientific name Prionailurus bengalensis, was discovered by workers at a proposed construction site they were clearing at the hospital’s Centre for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine.

It is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as being in urgent need of protection.

Bach Thanh Hai, director of the rescue centre, said the cat needs time for rehabilitation before being released it into the wildlife park.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has said the leopard cat is facing a decline in Vietnam’s forests mainly due to poaching for fur and capture for the pet trade. Uncontrolled deforestation is also affecting the species due to habitat loss, it added.

There are around 10,000 leopard cats in the world but their numbers are declining.

In Vietnam, possessing and trading the cat are prohibited. VNS

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