PHNOM PENH, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A fishing cat, one of Asia's most elusive small wild cats, has reappeared for the first time in the restored flooded forest of around Tonle Sap Lake in western Cambodia's Pursat province, a conservationist group said in a joint press release on Monday.

The fishing cat stalks its prey in swamps, wetlands and mangrove forests. (Photo provided to BBC)

Confirmation of the rare fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) marked a major milestone in the 15-year conservation effort in restoring one of Southeast Asia's most important freshwater ecosystems, the press release said.

The sighting was confirmed after the fishing cat was photographed 46 times by camera traps in mid-2025, the press release added.

The charismatic aquatic cats are solitary, nocturnal hunters, about twice the size of a house cat, with partially webbed front paws and semi-retractable claws, making them expert swimmers that dive and scoop fish, though they also eat rodents, birds, and reptiles.

Vanessa Herranz Munoz, director of the Fishing Cat Ecological Enterprise (FCEE) and member of both the Fishing Cat Working Group and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Cat Specialist Group, recently confirmed the images are of a fishing cat.

The fishing cat is globally categorized as vulnerable and records in Southeast Asia are very scarce, she said, adding its population in Cambodia is likely small.

"This is only the second confirmed record in the entire Tonle Sap area and gives us great hope for the recovery of this unique water-loving feline species," she added.

The fishing cat is native to South and Southeast Asia and is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list, with fewer than 10,000 mature individuals estimated globally, the press release said.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina said the confirmed presence of the fishing cat in the flooded forests of Tonle Sap is a strong responsive signal from nature to our long-term management of fisheries and flooded forest ecosystems.

"It is the living proof of the results from our commitment," he said. "It underscores the importance of restoring and safeguarding these habitats, not only for biodiversity conservation but also for sustaining fisheries and the livelihoods of communities that depend on healthy wetlands."

In Cambodia, confirmed records of fishing cats are extremely scarce, the press release said, adding that monitoring efforts are often challenged by misidentification with the more common mainland leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis).

Such a finding is important evidence not only to highlight the return of the biodiversity species within the protected areas in Cambodia but also to confirm the effectiveness of Cambodia's national policies to conserve, manage, and develop the environment and natural resources, said Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth.