Mystery animal seen in Borneo

A MYSTERIOUS new creature has been discovered in dense tropical forest, wildlife campaigners announced yesterday.

The animal, a mammal slightly larger than a domestic cat with dark red fur and a long bushy tail, was photographed twice by a camera trap at night, according to WWF researchers.

It could be the first new carnivorous mammal to be found on the island of Borneo - which has one of the highest levels of biodiversity on earth - for more than a century.

But researchers fear the animal might already be doomed to extinction by the threat of human development.

WWF said it is hoping to confirm more about the amazing discovery by setting cage traps and catching a live specimen. It is incredibly rare to find a new mammal species of this size, particularly a carnivore.

Biologist Stephan Wulffraat, who is coordinating WWF’s research on the animal, said: “We showed the photo of the animal to locals who know the wildlife of the area, but nobody had ever seen this creature before. We also consulted several Bornean wildlife experts. Some thought it looked like a lemur, but most were convinced it was a carnivore.”

The area where the animal was photographed - Kayan Mentarang National Park in Kalimantan, the Indonesian side of the island, is located in a mountainous region covered with vast tracts of rainforest.

The Indonesian government is planning to create the world’s largest palm oil plantation in this area, which WWF says would devastate forests, wildlife and indigenous communities.