Research overview: flat-headed cat dependence on freshwater wetlands

This overview examines the flat-headed cat absolute dependence on lowland freshwater wetlands, the factor that most defines its conservation plight. The species is tied to rivers, swamps, and marshes with clean water and abundant aquatic prey, habitats that are among the most heavily converted in Southeast Asia. Drainage for oil palm and agriculture, pollution, dam construction, and overfishing strip the cat of both habitat and food. Because it is a wetland obligate with a narrow range, the species cannot relocate as these habitats vanish. Recognizing this dependence frames the loss of lowland wetlands as an existential threat and identifies wetland protection as the single most important action for the flat-headed cat survival.