Tigers and leopards may have been considered as nationally extinct in Singapore, but the country still has one remaining wildcat species left: The leopard cat or scientifically named as Prionailurus bengalensis. These critically endangered felines typically wander around the catchment areas in the central and western mainland as well as in offshore islands.
Due to the growing urbanization and rapid development, leopard cat sightings in the island happen once in a blue moon. Though it may be almost impossible to catch a glimpse of the leopard cat in real life, you can still get to know more about this elusive species through this article.
Leopard Cat: The last survivor of the wildcat family
Just like its name suggests, the leopard cat or Prionailurus bengalensis is a small sized wildcat—almost the size of a domestic cat—with striking leopard-like fur. Different from leopard cats in other countries, the leopard cats in Singapore grow between 40 to 55 cm in length, with a tail up to 29 cm long, and can weigh up to 2 to 5 kg when they are adults. This mini version of the leopard has a distinctive yellowish or reddish-brown coat on their upper portions with black spots—some looking like bands—black stripes on the neck and the head, and a white patch behind their ears.
Leopard cats are gifted with an excellent talent for climbing and swimming. They spend the day in caves, tree holes, or rock crevices, and usually come alive in the night time. Most of these felines live solitary or in small groups. A female leopard cat can give birth to around four kittens after 56–70 days, with males sometimes assisting in taking care of the young.
Leopard Cat's Habitat and distribution
According to the information by the Singapore Wildcat Action Group (SWAG) and Singapore Government’s webpage, the leopard cat’s versatility and swimming ability allows them to easily navigate their way amongst the rivers, forest canopy and forest floor. Hence why, leopard cats are often found residing in forests, scrubland, grassland, plantations, logged areas, and even in outshore islands.
Interestingly, leopard cats are actually a quite common cat species in Asia. These carnivorous mammals exist in most countries in the Southeast Asian region, including in Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, Brunei, Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia. They are also scattered in other Asian countries, such as India, Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, China, and Siberia.
Finding the leopard cat
Given its status as a critically endangered fauna, sighting a leopard cat is definitely not as easy as sighting regular cats on the streets. The sighting of a leopard cat in Singapore is extremely rare to the point people believed it was extinct, until a female was spotted at Pulau Ubin in 1997. Prior to its appearance on Pulau Ubin, the leopard cat was previously discovered in 1968 on the Mandai region.
While small populations of leopard cats are presumed to exist in other parts of Singapore, like on Pulau Tekong and several mainland nature reserves, recent live sightings on the mainland are rare. On top of that, roadkill incidents pose a major threat to the estimated 50 remaining nocturnal leopard cats.
As reported by The Strait Times, Dr Vilma D’Rozario—co-director of the National Parks Board (NParks), said that in the last 25 years, at least five leopard cats were a victim to roadkill incidents, with one incident happening in Changi back in 2018. Five years later in 2024, the leopard cat was spotted twice in the same place.
Although researchers are uncertain about the existence of a leopard cat population in Changi, Dr Ian Chan from the National University of Singapore assumed that these furry fellas most likely came from Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong. Which is adjacent to the Changi area.
Despite being abundant globally, The Singapore Red Data Book classified leopard cats as “critically endangered” in Singapore. With serious threats such as poaching and habitat loss caused by rapid urbanization, stricter conservation efforts are needed to ensure these wildcat species don’t turn into an urban legend to Singapore’s upcoming generations.
