Sanctuary's tiny wild cat to join breeding scheme
An animal sanctuary says its conservation centre for a species of small wild cats will join an international breeding programme.
Rusty-spotted cats will have three outdoor enclosures at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent, when a new facility is officially opened in July.
The organisation said resident male rusty-spotted cat Kuda would be joined by a female later in 2026 at the enclosures under the breeding scheme.
The nocturnal animals - native to India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal - are about half the size of domestic cats, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The international group classifies the cat as having a "near threatened" conservation status.
The Kent sanctuary said animals would be monitored by thermal cameras and have climate-controlled heat zones at the indoor component of the new facility.
Automated rainfall systems would mimic natural weather and support breeding success, according to the facility.
The Big Cat Sanctuary managing director Cam Whitnall said the development represented "a huge milestone not only for our sanctuary, but for the future conservation of the Rusty-spotted cat globally".
The charity hoped creating the enclosures would "help secure a sustainable future population while inspiring greater awareness and protection" for the cats, he said.
<small>Source: BBC Science</small>
