REUTERS

Camera traps have captured images of a rare golden cat inside Cambodia's northeast Ratanakiri province for the first time, raising hope for conservation work.

The Asiatic golden cat is listed as an endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and there is little information on them.

"The presence of the golden cat is rarely recorded because it is a rare species among the eight species of tigers," Neth Pheaktra, spokesman at the environment ministry, told Reuters.

The sightings of the cat, weighing about 9 kg to 16 kg (20 to 35 lb) inside Virachey National Park were part of a three-month research project on wildlife aimed at better managing conservation work, the ministry said on Tuesday.