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Pallas Cat Study and Conservation Program |
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Siberian Last updated:
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PROJECTS
CLARIFYING COSERVATION STATUS OF PALLAS CAT IN KAZAKHSTAN On expedition results, June 2009
The itinerary covered some areas of South-Western Kazakh Upland - Tulkili hills, some areas north of the lake Balkhash, Saryoba hills, south-western side of Chingistau mountains and granitelands of Emeltau, Arkat and Karagaily. We don't know much about manul in Kazakhstan. This species is in the Red List of Kazakhstan, but no special research was done to define its condition and conservation status. Our expedition was the first one here to study manul's status. The data were collected from locals of different groups - herdsmen, hunters, hunt inspectors. Also, the information was provided by Kazakhstan zoologists and other specialists. Apart from visiting the the cattle-breeder camps and interviewing the locals, the questionnaires were distributed among hunt inspectors and students. Also, the educational posters with the information on Pallas' Cat and the necessity of its conservation were distributed among the respondents. The work has only started. Next winter, the winter countings are planned to be performed in some areas where manul lives in Kazakhstan. So far we managed only to find out that manul is little known to the locals, as the cat is rare and lives by no means in all areas that seem fit for it. The members of our expedition were lucky - we saw a manul with our own eyes. The animal was spotted in the vicinity of the Emeltau granitelands, in the south-west part of the East Kazakhstan Region. The manul, having noticed the researchers, hurried away, hiding behind bushes. The stony ravine where the meeting happened was teeming with little hare-like creatures, pikas. Apparently, the manul was hunting one of them when we appeared. As it turned out later, Pallas Cat is quite common in the Emeltau mountains. Herdsmen see the cat quite often. Read more about the project of clarifying Pallas' Cat conservation status in Kazakhstan. |
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