A lion in kitten's clothing!
Rare footage reveals how the world's smallest cat, found in Sri Lanka, is just as predatory and daring as his much larger relatives - even though he could fit in the palm of your hand
Anew BBC programme has revealed the little known world of the smallest cat on the planet, in footage captured while filming a documentary about its much larger rela- tives.
The rusty spotted cat, which weighs just over one kilogram and could fit in the palm of your hand when it is fully grown, and features in Big Cats - a new series celebrating all the different species of felines around the world.
The extremely rare minature cat is found only in the forests of Sri Lanka and India and is 200 times lighter than a lion - but is equally predatory when it comes to the search for food.
Although it looks very similar to a family pet, this one is different from domestic moggies and 'what it lacks in size it makes up for in daring', as it doesn't mind getting a little wet.
The Big Cats team spent more than two years travelling to 14 different countries and filmed 31 out of the 40 species, as well as giving an insight into the secret lives of the rarely-seen small cats.
Narrated by Doctor Foster's Bertie Carvel, the three-part documentary series looks at cats such as the ghostly Canada lynx in the frozen North, the bizarre Pallas’s cat in remote Mongolia, and the mysterious and elusive swamp tiger of the Sundarbans.
The Canada lynx which features in the first episode, lives further north than any cat, relying on snowshoe hares to survive the bitterly cold winters.
Until recently lynx were creatures of mystery, but now technology provides an insight into their secret lives.
Predators they may be, but cats are also tender, intelligent and emotional. Honey, an African leopard, has worn a radio collar for a decade that has allowed scientists to follow her life’s every twist and turn and in the worst drought in decades, she’s battling to raise a cub.
In the Himalayas, the male snow leopard - perhaps the world’s most lonesome cat - is searching for a mate and may just get one chance to mate in his whole life.
The series also uncovers their social side, their complex communication, devoted parental care, courtship, and reveals how cats survive and thrive in all four corners of the globe.
From the frozen north to the oldest and driest deserts, the most remote, unexplored landscapes to the very heart of our modern world. (© Daily Mail, London)