Did a resident in a Seoul residential area request a cat rescue, only to find out it was actually an endangered animal?

Yes, on the night of October 11, a resident in Seongnae-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, reported a cat needing rescue.

District office officials dispatched to the scene found no visible injuries and initially withdrew.

However, after the resident took the animal to an animal hospital, it was confirmed to be a leopard cat, an endangered wild animal of Class II, not a cat.

At the time of the rescue by the district office, the leopard cat was emaciated and showed symptoms of dehydration.

This is the second time a leopard cat has been rescued within Seoul this year.

Possibilities are being raised that it may have moved into the urban area after being attacked during a turf war with cats or experiencing difficulties in foraging for food.

While leopard cats look similar to regular cats, they can be distinguished by white spots behind their ears and the unique stripes and spots on their faces and bodies.

(Photo courtesy of Gangdong-gu Office)