A LEOPARD cat, China’s second-class protected animal, was recently spotted at Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in Dapeng New Area, announced China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN) on its official WeChat account Sunday.

An infrared camera caught the moment the leopard cat was walking near a drainage ditch at the plant. The footage was taken around the end of July, according to Lai Qianyu, head of CGN’s television station, who published the video.

Lai has been using infrared cameras to observe animals such as fish, insects and birds appearing at the plant since last year and reviews the videos every two months.

Recently, when Lai took the camera back for review, he noticed the leopard cat. “I was not sure so I asked Chen Jiutong who has been investigating biodiversity in Shenzhen for many years. My guess was confirmed. It is a leopard cat,” said Lai.

A leopard cat is a small carnivorous animal, mainly inhabiting mountain forest areas, suburban shrubs and near forest borders. It feeds on rodents and squirrels, and also eats some young leaves. It is native to South, Southeast and East Asia and is one of the species domesticated in Neolithic China about 5,000 years ago.

Last month, two leopard cats were spotted at the Yangmeikeng outdoor observation station in Dapeng, with one who died during a fight with the other.

The number of animal and plant species at Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant surpassed 200, including eight types of national key protected plants and land animals and 15 types of stony coral in surrounding seawaters, according to the plant’s 2019 biodiversity report.

(Wang Jingli)