Research synthesis: flat-headed cat conservation status

This synthesis reviews the conservation standing of the flat-headed cat, widely regarded as among the most threatened small cats owing to its narrow range, extreme wetland specialization, and the rapid destruction of lowland Sundaland habitats. It weighs the overriding threat of wetland loss and degradation, driven by oil palm expansion, drainage, pollution, and dam building, alongside overfishing that depletes prey, persecution, and incidental capture. The review stresses the species data scarcity, which obscures population trends, and its inability to adapt to non-wetland habitats. It frames priorities as urgent protection of remaining lowland freshwater wetlands, improved survey effort, and reduction of pollution and prey depletion, presenting the flat-headed cat as a flagship for imperiled Southeast Asian wetlands.