- Cameras for Cats ·
our impact
years of studying Borneo's wild cats
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photos and videos collected
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Sunda clouded leopards caught on camera in the Sebangau National Park
Help us make new exciting scientific discoveries and put a conservation spotlight on the secretive cats of Borneo
Five wild cat species are endemic to the island of Borneo: the Sunda clouded leopard, Sunda leopard cat, bay cat, marbled cat and flat-headed cat.
Little is known about these animals, but most populations are believed to be in decline due to widespread habitat destruction and poaching.
In response to these threats, we have launched a multi-landscape camera trap project, which will inform conservation actions and shed light on the secret lives of Borneo's beautiful cats.
Borneo’s rainforests are rich with biodiversity. However, the biodiversity is increasingly threatened by habitat loss, environmental degradation and poaching. The island’s wild cat species are of particular concern, as they naturally occur at low densities and have received relatively little research or conservation focus to date.
Founded on more than 10 years of camera trap survey data collected in the Sebangau National Park, we have launched our Cameras for Cats campaign to help remedy this situation. We are proposing a new, visible focus on the conservation of wild cats in Indonesian Borneo, including the island’s largest predator, the Sunda clouded leopard, and the endemic bay cat, which is found nowhere else on Earth.
4 of the 5 species of wild cat in Borneo are declining due to human activities, putting them at risk of extinction.
This project runs across three very different and unique landscapes: Barito Ulu, deep in the geographical heart of Borneo; Rungan, which encompasses a sizeable chunk of mostly-intact lowland forest; and the Sebangau National Park, one of the largest peat-swamp forests in the world.
Using camera trap footage, we will determine the distribution of Borneo’s five cat species across multiple landscapes for a comprehensive assessment of their populations and distribution. By evaluating the ways these animals are adapting to human disturbance, we can develop targeted species action plans, which will lead to improved conservation management to directly combat imminent threats to these beautiful animals.
BNF is delighted to partner with Panthera and Re:Wild to make a real difference for the conservation of Borneo’s wild cats. Through research using camera traps, identifying threats and conservation solutions, involving local communities and building a network of partnerships, we will be a driving force for wild cat conservation.
Borneo Nature Foundation is a non-profit conservation organisation. We work to protect some of the most important areas of tropical rainforest and to safeguard the wildlife, environment and indigenous culture on Borneo.
