The Horncastle White Cat, Lincolnshire.
The mammal was first discovered by a British explorer / This is the first ever photograph of a secretive African carnivore known only by its skin.
No trace of the animal has been seen since a single spotted pelt was found by a British explorer in 1932. After 70 years, the animal has finally been captured on camera. The metre-long mammal is a member of the mongoose family. It was snapped by a remote camera trap on the eastern side of Tanzania's Udzungwa Mountains National Park.
A scientist from the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) rediscovered the carnivore, known as Lowe's servaline genet.
"This is the first ever photograph of Lowe's servaline genet and confirms the animal's existence after 70 years," says WCS researcher Daniela De Luca.
"We now hope to find out more about the animal and thus help ensure its survival."
The creature was first described by British explorer and naturalist Willoughby Lowe. It is thought to be nocturnal and to live in trees.
Scientists plan to carry out more research in the area to see how many are left.
June 2002.
A spotted puma has been captured with a remote camera in Central America, by Dr.
Marcella Kelly of Virginia Tech., (sent via Helen McGinnis), August 7, 2002.
Needless to say, pumas generally are not spotted after the juvenile phase. Dr. Kelly
noted that this seems to be a juvenile that has not lost its spots, although it appears to
be beyond the age when that usually occurs. This remarkable photograph supplies an
intriguing piece of the puzzle to sightings of large spotted cats reported from selected
locations in the Americas, and the two spotted cat skins from Mexico, discussed by
Ivan T. Sanderson.
Source: Loren Coleman.
Many Thanks to Martin Cotterill For The Following.
