Indonesian company seeks CITES approval to breed and sell rare Asian golden cats
With their shiny golden or reddish-brown fur, round ears, and white and black facial markings, Asian golden cats are cute. But don’t let their looks fool you: these cats, native to China and South and Southeast Asia, are fiercely territorial, elusive, and highly solitary animals. Because of this, Asian golden cats (Catopuma temminckii) don’t reproduce […]
Asian golden cats, with their striking golden or reddish-brown fur, round ears, and distinctive facial markings, are captivating creatures native to China and South and Southeast Asia. These elusive and territorial felines are solitary by nature, making them difficult to breed in captivity, a challenge faced by only a few zoos worldwide.
PT Alam Nusantara Jayatama, a private Indonesian company, is seeking CITES approval to become the first to commercially breed Asian golden cats in captivity, with the intention of selling their offspring to exotic pet enthusiasts globally. The company's owner, Danny Gunalen, is a notable figure in Indonesia's animal-breeding industry, managing multiple zoos and facilities.
The Indonesian government is poised to certify the company's facility as a legal breeder, provided CITES, a global wildlife trade treaty comprising 184 nations and the European Union, does not raise objections before the Nov. 10, 2026 deadline. CITES has until the aforementioned date to object to the registration; failure to do so would grant the company authorization to export the animals.
Asian golden cats are classified as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List and are protected in most of their native countries. Estimates suggest there are only around 7,000 individuals remaining in the wild, with their populations declining due to habitat loss.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
