diff --git a/packages/community-cli-plugin/src/commands/bundle/__tests__/assetCatalogIOS-test.js b/packages/community-cli-plugin/src/commands/bundle/__tests__/assetCatalogIOS-test.js
index 36023209e6bd..1f7260a7b91f 100644
--- a/packages/community-cli-plugin/src/commands/bundle/__tests__/assetCatalogIOS-test.js
+++ b/packages/community-cli-plugin/src/commands/bundle/__tests__/assetCatalogIOS-test.js
@@ -8,8 +8,15 @@
  * @format
  */
 
-import {getCatalogImages, getImageSet} from '../assetCatalogIOS';
+import {
+  getCatalogImages,
+  getImageSet,
+  isAnimatedPNG,
+  isCatalogAsset,
+} from '../assetCatalogIOS';
 
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const os = require('node:os');
 const path = require('node:path');
 
 jest.dontMock('../assetCatalogIOS');
@@ -102,3 +109,138 @@ describe('getImageSet', () => {
     ]);
   });
 });
+
+describe('isAnimatedPNG', () => {
+  const PNG_SIGNATURE = Buffer.from([
+    0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a,
+  ]);
+
+  // CRCs are not validated by the detector, so chunks carry a zero CRC.
+  function chunk(type: string, data: Buffer = Buffer.alloc(0)): Buffer {
+    const length = Buffer.alloc(4);
+    length.writeUInt32BE(data.length, 0);
+    return Buffer.concat([
+      length,
+      Buffer.from(type, 'latin1'),
+      data,
+      Buffer.alloc(4),
+    ]);
+  }
+
+  const IHDR = chunk('IHDR', Buffer.alloc(13));
+  const IDAT = chunk('IDAT', Buffer.from([0x78, 0x9c, 0x03, 0x00]));
+  const IEND = chunk('IEND');
+  const acTL = chunk('acTL', Buffer.alloc(8));
+
+  let dir: string;
+
+  beforeAll(() => {
+    dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'assetCatalogIOS-'));
+  });
+
+  afterAll(() => {
+    fs.rmSync(dir, {recursive: true, force: true});
+  });
+
+  function writeFile(name: string, ...parts: Array<Buffer>): string {
+    const file = path.join(dir, name);
+    fs.writeFileSync(file, Buffer.concat(parts));
+    return file;
+  }
+
+  test('detects an acTL chunk before the first IDAT', () => {
+    const file = writeFile(
+      'animated.png',
+      PNG_SIGNATURE,
+      IHDR,
+      acTL,
+      IDAT,
+      IEND,
+    );
+    expect(isAnimatedPNG(file)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('skips over chunk data when walking the headers', () => {
+    const large = chunk('iCCP', Buffer.alloc(70000));
+    const file = writeFile(
+      'icc.png',
+      PNG_SIGNATURE,
+      IHDR,
+      large,
+      acTL,
+      IDAT,
+      IEND,
+    );
+    expect(isAnimatedPNG(file)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('is false for a still PNG', () => {
+    const file = writeFile('still.png', PNG_SIGNATURE, IHDR, IDAT, IEND);
+    expect(isAnimatedPNG(file)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('is false for a file without the PNG signature', () => {
+    const file = writeFile('not.png', Buffer.from('not a png'));
+    expect(isAnimatedPNG(file)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('is false for a file truncated inside the chunk headers', () => {
+    const file = writeFile('truncated.png', PNG_SIGNATURE, IHDR.subarray(0, 6));
+    expect(isAnimatedPNG(file)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('is false for a missing file', () => {
+    expect(isAnimatedPNG(path.join(dir, 'missing.png'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  describe('isCatalogAsset', () => {
+    function makeFileAsset(type: string, files: Array<string>) {
+      return {
+        ...makeAsset(files.map((_, idx) => idx + 1)),
+        files,
+        type,
+      };
+    }
+
+    test('keeps a still PNG in the catalog', () => {
+      const file = writeFile('logo.png', PNG_SIGNATURE, IHDR, IDAT, IEND);
+      expect(isCatalogAsset(makeFileAsset('png', [file]))).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    test('keeps an animated PNG out of the catalog', () => {
+      const file = writeFile(
+        'spinner.png',
+        PNG_SIGNATURE,
+        IHDR,
+        acTL,
+        IDAT,
+        IEND,
+      );
+      expect(isCatalogAsset(makeFileAsset('png', [file]))).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    test('keeps the whole asset out when only one scale is animated', () => {
+      const still = writeFile('mixed.png', PNG_SIGNATURE, IHDR, IDAT, IEND);
+      const animated = writeFile(
+        'mixed@2x.png',
+        PNG_SIGNATURE,
+        IHDR,
+        acTL,
+        IDAT,
+        IEND,
+      );
+      expect(isCatalogAsset(makeFileAsset('png', [still, animated]))).toBe(
+        false,
+      );
+    });
+
+    test('does not read non-PNG assets', () => {
+      expect(
+        isCatalogAsset(makeFileAsset('jpg', [path.join(dir, 'missing.jpg')])),
+      ).toBe(true);
+      expect(
+        isCatalogAsset(makeFileAsset('gif', [path.join(dir, 'missing.gif')])),
+      ).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/community-cli-plugin/src/commands/bundle/assetCatalogIOS.js b/packages/community-cli-plugin/src/commands/bundle/assetCatalogIOS.js
index ff03a6ef130e..98c57f64847b 100644
--- a/packages/community-cli-plugin/src/commands/bundle/assetCatalogIOS.js
+++ b/packages/community-cli-plugin/src/commands/bundle/assetCatalogIOS.js
@@ -86,7 +86,59 @@ export function getImageSet(catalogDir: string, asset: AssetData): ImageSet {
 }
 
 export function isCatalogAsset(asset: AssetData): boolean {
-  return asset.type === 'png' || asset.type === 'jpg' || asset.type === 'jpeg';
+  if (asset.type === 'png') {
+    // The runtime resolves an asset by name, so all of its scales must be
+    // either in the catalog or loose.
+    return !asset.files.some(isAnimatedPNG);
+  }
+  return asset.type === 'jpg' || asset.type === 'jpeg';
+}
+
+const PNG_SIGNATURE = Buffer.from([
+  0x89, 0x50, 0x4e, 0x47, 0x0d, 0x0a, 0x1a, 0x0a,
+]);
+
+/**
+ * Whether the file is an animated PNG: a PNG with an `acTL` chunk before its
+ * first `IDAT` (https://www.w3.org/TR/png-3/#acTL-chunk). actool compiles
+ * such a file into a single still frame, so it must stay a loose file.
+ *
+ * Only the chunk headers are read. An unreadable or malformed file is reported
+ * as not animated so that it stays on the catalog path, where actool reports it.
+ */
+export function isAnimatedPNG(filePath: string): boolean {
+  let fd = null;
+  try {
+    fd = fs.openSync(filePath, 'r');
+    const signature = Buffer.alloc(PNG_SIGNATURE.length);
+    if (
+      fs.readSync(fd, signature, 0, signature.length, 0) !== signature.length ||
+      !signature.equals(PNG_SIGNATURE)
+    ) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    const chunkHeader = Buffer.alloc(8);
+    let position = signature.length;
+    while (fs.readSync(fd, chunkHeader, 0, 8, position) === 8) {
+      const dataLength = chunkHeader.readUInt32BE(0);
+      const type = chunkHeader.toString('latin1', 4, 8);
+      if (type === 'acTL') {
+        return true;
+      }
+      if (type === 'IDAT' || type === 'IEND') {
+        return false;
+      }
+      // Skip the chunk data and its 4-byte CRC.
+      position += 8 + dataLength + 4;
+    }
+    return false;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  } finally {
+    if (fd != null) {
+      fs.closeSync(fd);
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 export function writeImageSet(imageSet: ImageSet): void {
diff --git a/packages/react-native/React/Base/RCTUtils.mm b/packages/react-native/React/Base/RCTUtils.mm
index 21ddfb6ff1f2..67d2beb71ad6 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/React/Base/RCTUtils.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/React/Base/RCTUtils.mm
@@ -1117,32 +1117,26 @@ static BOOL RCTUseAssetCatalog(void)
 
 UIImage *__nullable RCTImageFromLocalAssetURL(NSURL *imageURL)
 {
+  NSString *catalogName = nil;
   if (RCTUseAssetCatalog()) {
-    NSString *catalogName = RCTAssetCatalogNameForURL(imageURL);
+    catalogName = RCTAssetCatalogNameForURL(imageURL);
     if (catalogName != nil) {
       // The app opted into the asset catalog and this is a packager asset, so it
-      // was compiled into RNAssets.bundle at build time. Trust the catalog and
-      // return directly, keeping the common path a single lookup with no
-      // filesystem fallback. Non-catalog assets (nil name) fall through below.
+      // was compiled into RNAssets.bundle at build time. Return directly on a
+      // hit, keeping the common path a single lookup. Non-catalog assets (nil
+      // name) and catalog misses fall through to the loose-file lookup below:
+      // the CLI copies animated PNGs as loose files, since actool would compile
+      // them into a single still frame. RNAssets.bundle itself is absent when
+      // every image asset was copied loose, so a missing bundle is a miss too.
       NSBundle *assetCatalogBundle = RCTAssetCatalogBundle();
-      if (assetCatalogBundle == nil) {
-        // Passing a nil bundle to imageNamed:inBundle: would silently search the
-        // main bundle instead, potentially resolving an unrelated app image.
-        RCTLogError(
-            @"RCTUseAssetCatalog is enabled but RNAssets.bundle was not found in the app. Image assets must be "
-             "bundled by react-native-xcode.sh, which compiles them into the app at build time. (loading %@)",
-            imageURL);
-        return nil;
-      }
-      UIImage *image = [UIImage imageNamed:catalogName inBundle:assetCatalogBundle compatibleWithTraitCollection:nil];
-      if (image == nil) {
-        RCTLogError(
-            @"Image \"%@\" (%@) was not found in the asset catalog. RCTUseAssetCatalog is enabled, "
-             "so image assets must be compiled into the app's RNAssets.bundle at build time.",
-            catalogName,
-            imageURL);
+      // Passing a nil bundle to imageNamed:inBundle: would silently search the
+      // main bundle instead, potentially resolving an unrelated app image.
+      if (assetCatalogBundle != nil) {
+        UIImage *image = [UIImage imageNamed:catalogName inBundle:assetCatalogBundle compatibleWithTraitCollection:nil];
+        if (image != nil) {
+          return image;
+        }
       }
-      return image;
     }
   }
 
@@ -1194,6 +1188,21 @@ static BOOL RCTUseAssetCatalog(void)
       }
     }
   }
+
+  if (image == nil && catalogName != nil) {
+    if (RCTAssetCatalogBundle() == nil) {
+      RCTLogError(
+          @"RCTUseAssetCatalog is enabled but RNAssets.bundle was not found in the app. Image assets must be "
+           "bundled by react-native-xcode.sh, which compiles them into the app at build time. (loading %@)",
+          imageURL);
+    } else {
+      RCTLogError(
+          @"Image \"%@\" (%@) was not found in the asset catalog or as a file. RCTUseAssetCatalog is enabled, "
+           "so image assets must be compiled into the app's RNAssets.bundle at build time.",
+          catalogName,
+          imageURL);
+    }
+  }
   return image;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/rn-tester/js/assets/animated.png b/packages/rn-tester/js/assets/animated.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e51b9fc03c79
Binary files /dev/null and b/packages/rn-tester/js/assets/animated.png differ
diff --git a/packages/rn-tester/js/examples/Image/ImageExample.js b/packages/rn-tester/js/examples/Image/ImageExample.js
index eb0b2d3875b4..f94fb99050b8 100644
--- a/packages/rn-tester/js/examples/Image/ImageExample.js
+++ b/packages/rn-tester/js/examples/Image/ImageExample.js
@@ -1115,6 +1115,10 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create({
     flex: 1,
     height: 200,
   },
+  apng: {
+    width: 64,
+    height: 64,
+  },
   base64: {
     flex: 1,
     height: 50,
@@ -1965,6 +1969,22 @@ exports.examples = [
     },
     platform: 'ios',
   },
+  {
+    title: 'Animated PNG',
+    name: 'animated-png',
+    description:
+      'A bundled APNG. Image shows its first frame, but with RCTUseAssetCatalog on the file ships loose, with all its frames, instead of being flattened into the asset catalog.',
+    render: function (): React.Node {
+      return (
+        <Image
+          testID="image-animated-png"
+          style={styles.apng}
+          source={require('../../assets/animated.png')}
+        />
+      );
+    },
+    platform: 'ios',
+  },
   {
     title: 'Base64 image',
     name: 'base64-image',