Wrong cat: why the freedom-loving nature of Pallas’ cats threatens them with extinction (11 photos)

These funny cats with fluffy fur and strange looks are becoming less and less common. But attempts to tame them and start mass breeding in captivity fail





Scientists like to speculate: what if people disappear from Earth? How will the animals behave? One thing is certain: the most domestic-looking of all wild cats, the Pallas's cat, will be very happy about this.



ZOOSPRAVKA

Manul

Felis manul/ Otocolobus manul

Class - mammals

Squad - predatory

Family - felines

Genus - cats

Body length – 52–65 cm, tail length – 23–31 cm, weight – 2–5 kg. The average life expectancy in captivity is 12–14 years. It is unknown how long he lives at large.

The main difference between Pallas' cats and domestic cats is their eyes. Yellow, with round pupils, which in bright light do not narrow to slits, but simply become smaller. The Pallas' cat also, compared to most cats, has a more massive body, short thick legs and a long thick tail that sharply curves at the end. The head is small, wide and flattened, the ears are small and rounded. On the cheeks there are fluffy sideburns and two stripes of dark fur. There are three subspecies of Pallas's cat, different in coat color: grayish-brown - Siberian, reddish - Central Asian, dark gray - Tibetan.





In nature

The Pallas's cat is a wild feline, similar in size to a domestic cat, and still remains one of the most poorly studied animals on the planet. According to scientists, this species has existed on Earth for about 5 million years.

The range of the Pallas's cat is extensive: they are found in Central, Central and Western Asia - from Transcaucasia to Transbaikalia. But throughout this entire territory the number of individuals is small. Pallas' cats choose rocky foothills and mountainous areas overgrown with bushes to live. The den is made in old burrows of badgers and corsacs or in rock crevices. And sometimes in very unexpected places. Thus, employees of the Daursky Nature Reserve in South-Eastern Transbaikalia discovered two females who had made nests in rusty combines in the middle of farmland overgrown with weeds.



Pallas' cats feed mainly on small rodents and birds that nest or feed on the ground, as well as insects. A solitary and predominantly crepuscular animal, the Pallas' cat goes hunting most often after sunset or before dawn. In summer, animals are sometimes active during the day. Winters in areas where Pallas' cats are distributed are harsh; temperatures can drop to –50 °C. But the fur, the thickest and fluffiest among all cats - up to 9,000 hairs, each 7 centimeters long, per square centimeter of skin - helps animals survive in difficult conditions.

The survival of Pallas' cats in winter also depends on the abundance of rodents and the depth of snow cover. Pallas' cats do not like deep, loose snow: their short legs sink into the snowdrifts. In February - March, Pallas's cat's mating season is when several males follow each female, sorting things out among themselves in fierce fights.

As soon as the rut ends, cats return to a solitary lifestyle. The kittens, which appear in April - May, are raised by their mother. There are usually 3–5 cubs in a litter; they are born blind, weighing less than 100 grams, but by 6–8 months they reach adult size.

Pallas's cat is included in the Red Books of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and China. The exact number of animals in nature is unknown. At the end of the last century, their number was estimated at 3000–3600 individuals. And judging by indirect signs, their numbers are declining. They have almost no natural enemies; human activity causes the greatest damage to the population. But the main threat is not poachers. Pallas' cats die from eating mice poisoned by pesticides in the fields, die in fires caused by forest fires, and are hit by agricultural machinery.

Photo hunt for manula

Since June 2012, the “Wild Cats of Southern Siberia” program has been operating in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Khakassia and Tuva under the auspices of the Geographical Society. Among the activities envisaged by the project are observations of Pallas' cat cats in their natural habitat using electronic tracking devices, photo and video equipment. Research is carried out on the territory of the Sayano-Shushensky natural biosphere reserve and in the Khakassky natural reserve, as well as in the Pozarym nature reserve.



Captive

Today, about 150 Pallas' cats live in 50 zoos around the world. Most are fairly close relatives to each other. In artificial conditions they do not take root well.

“These are extremely unsociable animals,” says Moscow Zoo employee Irina Alekseicheva. In many years of work, I have never met an adult Pallas cat who would come up to a person to caress and play.”

The Moscow Zoo has a long history of relations with the Pallas's cat. The first cats appeared here in 1949, and since 1957 they have lived permanently. And in 1987, the Pallas's cat became the official symbol of the zoo - its image is placed on the emblem.



Moscow Zoo logo, unveiled in 2019

At first, while the zoo did not yet have experience keeping Pallas cats, almost all kittens born in captivity died. “Unfortunately, so far no zoo in the world has been able to achieve stable and sustainable reproduction of these animals,” laments Irina Alekseicheva. “It appears that females born in captivity have significantly worse cub survival than those born in the wild.” Currently, about 40% of the cubs survive and are able to later give birth themselves.”



This is due to the peculiarities of the Pallas' cat's immunity. Far from their usual living conditions, Pallas's cats get sick a lot; these diseases are poorly studied, and it is difficult to treat animals. It is believed that the reason for the poor health of Pallas' cat cats in zoos is their unusual susceptibility to toxoplasmosis.

“Many domestic cats in Moscow are infected and live peacefully with toxoplasmosis, and for Pallas cats, infection often has serious consequences.”

According to Alekseicheva, young animals suffer the most; adult females often experience infertility. The likely reason for Pallas' cat's susceptibility to toxoplasmosis is that in their natural habitat, Pallas' cat simply does not encounter this disease and their immune system cannot respond adequately. Toxoplasmosis is brought to zoos by mice, rats, pigeons, and sparrows.



The existing difficulties of keeping Pallas cats in captivity need to be resolved as quickly as possible, because if this species is on the verge of extinction in nature, it will be too late to develop such technology. In recent years, they have learned to treat toxoplasmosis, but there are a lot of difficulties. The disease has vague symptoms and can only be detected through laboratory tests. But the Pallas' cat can hardly tolerate any veterinary manipulation.



“I even try to carry out regular procedures without rigid fixation, with minimal contact,” Alekseicheva shares her experience. “Pallas’ cats absolutely cannot stand being picked up.”



At the zoo they tell a story about how one day two kittens had to be given to a domestic cat to be raised - their mother, for medical reasons, could not feed them. The cat raised the cat along with her six kittens. They, like kittens, were constantly picked up, but, unlike their foster brothers and sisters who loved to play with people, Pallas' cat remained wild - at the sight of a person they tried to hide somewhere far away.