KUNMING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Two leopard cat babies have been rescued in southwest China's Yunnan Province, authorities said Tuesday.

A villager in Yunnan's Lancang County bumped into the feline on the roadside and thought they were two abandoned domestic cats. It was later confirmed that the two cats were wild leopard cats.

According to local authorities, the two animals were about three months old.

"They are very young and their teeth have not yet developed, which means they do not have the ability to survive in the wild," said forestry policeman Kuang Guoyun. "We will send them to a wildlife rescue center, and will release them after they develop survival abilities."

Leopard cat is a state-protected wild animal species.