Endangered leopard receives CPR from off-duty policeman after it is hit by car

This is the heart-warming moment an endangered leopard cat was saved by an off-duty policeman after it was hit by a car.     

The delicate feline was found seemingly lifeless on the road by a resident of Tongxiao township in West Taiwan’s Miaoli county on July 15.

Residents picked up the injured cat and handed it to off-duty cop Lee Chien who lives nearby and he rushed the moggy back to Wumei Police Station.

A hero off-duty policeman saved an endangered leopard (above) with CPR after it was hit by a car in West Taiwan

A hero off-duty policeman saved an endangered leopard (above) with CPR after it was hit by a car in West Taiwan

During the footage the hero cop is seen massaging the feline's chest  and giving him CPR on the vet's instructions 

During the footage the hero cop is seen massaging the feline’s chest  and giving him CPR on the vet’s instructions 

The feline was on the road by a resident of Tongxiao township in West Taiwan's Miaoli county on July 15

The feline was on the road by a resident of Tongxiao township in West Taiwan’s Miaoli county on July 15

The endangered leopard was then rushed to Wumei Police Station and on the verge of officially being declared dead when Lee called a vet friend

The endangered leopard was then rushed to Wumei Police Station and on the verge of officially being declared dead when Lee called a vet friend

The animal appeared to have been on the verge of officially being declared dead when Lee called a vet friend and had him walk him through how to save the small cat.

Footage shows Lee then massaging the leopard cat’s chest, giving him CPR on the vet’s instructions.

He was advised to massage the animal’s heart for two minutes until fresh blood could be seen flowing from its nose.

With the officer’s help, the cat luckily survived and was later handed over to the Leopard Cat Association of Taiwan’s director, Chen Meiting.

The policeman was advised to massage the cat's heart for two minutes until fresh blood could be seen flowing from its nose

The policeman was advised to massage the cat’s heart for two minutes until fresh blood could be seen flowing from its nose

Lee said: 'The people who picked the injured cat up from the road helped to save him. I hope that drivers will take care not to hit cats'

Lee said: ‘The people who picked the injured cat up from the road helped to save him. I hope that drivers will take care not to hit cats’

The cat, who has been named Shihu, luckily survived and was later handed over to the Leopard Cat Association of Taiwan's director, Chen Meiting

The cat, who has been named Shihu, luckily survived and was later handed over to the Leopard Cat Association of Taiwan’s director, Chen Meiting

The Miao county animal protection office confirmed that the leopard cat did not suffer any broken bones but would not have survived its injuries had Lee not performed CPR in the police station.

Lee said the leopard cat had since been named Shihu following the miraculous life-saving CPR.

He said: ‘The people who picked the injured cat up from the road helped to save him.

‘I hope that drivers will take care not to hit cats. If they do they should try to help them.

‘It is never to late to help an injured cat. This one was very frail but he is recovering. I hope he can go to a good home.’

Leopard cats are Taiwan’s only surviving wild cat species following the extinction of the once prominent Formosan clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa brachyura).

Approximately 60 per cent of the leopard cat’s population -fewer than 500 – live in the mountains in Miaoli county.

 

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