Despite the name "golden," Asian golden cats can actually exhibit six different color variations. 

As a species of small wild cat that inhabits South and Southeast Asia, the Asian golden cat was photographed with six different color morphs in 2020 by Panthera, WWF, the Zoological Society of London, the University of Southampton and the Bhutan Department of Forests and Park Services. This story begins in Bhutan, a wild cat hotspot that potentially has 11 wild cat species – including tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, manuls, and the marbled cat just to name a few.

In 2019, Panthera partnered with the Department of Forests and Park Services of Bhutan, WWF-Bhutan and Canada, ZSL and the University of Southampton to study clouded leopards in the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park. The aim was to evaluate various camera trap designs and analyses to accurately estimate clouded leopard population, density, distribution and habitat use. This would inform a national action plan for the species, however—the Asian golden cat—emerged as the standout discovery of the study.

Field work began in January 2020, led by Ph.D. student Lungten Dorji, who deployed 100 paired camera traps. To Dorji’s surprise, the data revealed all six color morphs of the Asian golden cat, a rare find previously recorded only once in the Dibang Valley of northeastern India. While the melanistic (black) morph is frequently encountered, the detection of all six morphs—including:

• Golden
• Cinnamon
• Tightly-rosetted
• Gray
• Melanistic
• Ocelot form

Golden Cat

This is where the golden cat gets its colorful name.

Cinnamon Cat

This cinnamon morph adds some flavor to this collection.

Tightly-Rosetted Cat

The rosettes are small and almost look solid in this color morph.

Gray Cat

A neutral coat for this golden cat.

Melanistic Cat

A black cat crosses our path.

Ocelot Form

No, that’s not an ocelot, but an Asian golden cat with an “ocelot”-pattern color morph.

Bhutan is one of the few places on earth that is home to a large collection of wild cats, including these Asian golden cats, leopards, fishing cats and even tigers. Learn how the Royal Government of Bhutan plans to raise $1 billion in the next ten years to conserve endangered tigers and protect their landscape.