THE FOREST I hope you're ready to meet your new favorite animal because after you watch this video, your heart might just forever belong to the little rusty-spotted cat.
The video is a trailer for BBC's "Big Cats," a documentary series that "uncovers the secret lives of big cats." But in this episode, we don't meet fierce cheetahs, lions or snow leopards. No, in this episode of "Big Cats" we meet the world's smallest cat.
Rusty-spotted cats have all the fierceness and beauty of a big cat, but they're actually just about small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. On average, the little felines weigh 2 to 3 pounds, which makes them 200 times lighter than lions.
Not only are these tiny cats so adorable your heart will melt as you watch this one leap over leaves and climb across branches, but they're also pretty daring. And the coolest fact about them is their eyes are six times more powerful than human eyes.
Rusty-spotted cats are only found in Sri Lanka and India and are actually listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In response to concerns that this video would increase the amount of danger surrounding the animals, BBC talked to Dr. Niki Rust, a wildlife technical advisor for the World Wide Fund for Nature.
"Seeing cute videos of wild animals may make you want to cuddle them but remember these are not domesticated kitties," Rust said. "If you can, the best way to get up close and personal with wild cats is to see them from the safety of a safari vehicle in their natural habitat."
Or, if you're not lucky enough to have a safari trip booked anytime soon, you can get to know these interesting creatures online. Enjoy the video, and if you, like me, have been completely won over by this adorable little cat, here's another clip from the "Big Cats" episode.
The video is a trailer for BBC's "Big Cats," a documentary series that "uncovers the secret lives of big cats." But in this episode, we don't meet fierce cheetahs, lions or snow leopards. No, in this episode of "Big Cats" we meet the world's smallest cat.
Rusty-spotted cats have all the fierceness and beauty of a big cat, but they're actually just about small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. On average, the little felines weigh 2 to 3 pounds, which makes them 200 times lighter than lions.
Not only are these tiny cats so adorable your heart will melt as you watch this one leap over leaves and climb across branches, but they're also pretty daring. And the coolest fact about them is their eyes are six times more powerful than human eyes.
Rusty-spotted cats are only found in Sri Lanka and India and are actually listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In response to concerns that this video would increase the amount of danger surrounding the animals, BBC talked to Dr. Niki Rust, a wildlife technical advisor for the World Wide Fund for Nature.
"Seeing cute videos of wild animals may make you want to cuddle them but remember these are not domesticated kitties," Rust said. "If you can, the best way to get up close and personal with wild cats is to see them from the safety of a safari vehicle in their natural habitat."
Or, if you're not lucky enough to have a safari trip booked anytime soon, you can get to know these interesting creatures online. Enjoy the video, and if you, like me, have been completely won over by this adorable little cat, here's another clip from the "Big Cats" episode.