Is world demand for palm oil endangering the African golden cat?

The big international companies are moving into Africa for the land and the minerals. China is all over Africa for metals to supply their massive manufacturing industry that supplies the world with cheap consumer goods. Electronic goods need precious metals.

Palm oil is grown in equatorial Africa by small holding farmers. That is natural and obviously good for the local economy at that kind of scale. But when all the forests have been logged in Malaysia to make room for palm oil plantations the multinational companies have to move elsewhere to find virgin landscapes. There is still a lot of that in Africa. This why the African golden cat can survive in deep forest environments. Until now.

The forests of equatorial Africa, the territory of the African golden cat are being cut down to make way for palm oil plantations. This mirrors the destruction of virgin forest in Borneo for paper manufacture. The Bay cat lives in the Borneo forests.

It is not only the African golden cat that will suffer and gradually become extinct, I predict, in the wild. The local people will also suffer loss - financial loss.

The governments of Africa must think long term. They are leasing large areas of land to big business for instant profit. In the long term what will be the consequences?