PMNH Adds Endangered Elusive Leopard Cat To Its Collection

The elusive leopard cat, a small cat from the Felidae family, was discovered dead on the 76 National Highway in Islamabad late Wednesday night, December 14, 2022.

PMNH Adds Endangered Elusive Leopard Cat To Its Collection

The Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) has added a newly discovered specimen of an endangered elusive leopard cat to its collection, which will appeal to wildlife enthusiasts and researchers alike.

The elusive leopard cat (Prionailurus Bengalensis), a small cat from the Felidae family, was discovered dead on the 76 National Highway in Islamabad late Wednesday night, December 14, 2022. Rana Muhammad Riaz, a well-known wildlife enthusiast and official with the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services, discovered the dead specimen and reported it to the Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH).

A team led by Muhammad Asif Khan, curator of the PMNH’s Zoological Science Division, approached Rana Muhammad Riaz to collect the specimen, which was immediately transferred to the PMNH. The leopard cat is listed as the species of least concern on the IUCN Red List; it generally ventures out at night to search for food and water.

According to one study, Rawalpindi and its surrounding areas account for 46.6 percent of roadkill on the Potohar plateau. The 76 National Highway is surrounded by dense greenery on both sides and is abundant in wild flora and fauna.

For the currently reported road-killing of ecologically important wildlife, it is mandatory to instal wildlife sign boards along the highway to raise public awareness and reduce future incidents.

The Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) in Islamabad was founded in 1976 by the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Ministry of Science and Technology of Pakistan. The PMNH has four divisions: botanical sciences, earth sciences, zoological sciences, and public services.

The first three divisions are responsible for collecting, preserving, identifying, and researching Pakistan’s plants, animals, fossils, rocks, and minerals, while the latter is in charge of public education through dioramas, exhibits, lectures, workshops, seminars, posters, and film shows, among other things.

The PMNH also offers consulting and advisory services to both the public and private sectors.