Siberian
Environmental Center
P.O. Box 547, Novosibirsk
Russia, 630090
+7-383-328-30-26
manul-project@yandex.ru

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Last updated:
December 10, 2011

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PROJECTS

CLARIFYING COSERVATION STATUS OF PALLAS CAT IN KAZAKHSTAN

Final report on project

Background
There was no trustworthy data on modern Pallas's cat number and distribution in Kazakhstan. This species has been distributed formerly from the Caspian Sea on the west to the Markakol Lake on the east and from the north of the Kazakh Upland to boundaries on the south. Pallas's cat is species recognized as rare and endangered but there is no accurate information about its modern status, probably it disappeared from much of the Caspian region (Nowell, Jackson, 1996; Grachev, 1996). IUCN recognizes Pallas's cat as Near Threatened due to decreasing population trends and increasing threats from hunting and habitat loss (Ross et al, 2008) while there was no actual data on the species distribution (see the map in the IUCN Red List http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15640/0/rangemap).

Project’s objectives:
- to obtain actual data on Pallas’s cat number and distribution in Kazakhstan interviewing local people on Pallas’s cat findings and distribution
- to obtain data on actual threats for Pallas’s cat
- to identify the places of high conservation value for Pallas’s cat (“hot spots”)
- to create the map (in GIS) of Pallas's cat distribution (past and modern) throughout the Kazakhstan
- to educate local people and to form friendly attitude to Pallas’s cat

Project’s activities
In order to obtain interviewing data on Pallas’s cat we used some ways:

1. We carried out field trip to the eastern part of Kazakhstan in June 2009 (by the vehicle of Sibecocenter from Novosibirsk city, Russia). During this trip we interviewed local herders visiting breeding-cattle farms. The survey route traversed the eastern part of Kazakh Upland passing through the East-Kazakhstan and Almaty regions of Kazakhstan (fig. 1). We visited 52 Pallas’s cat. Photo by Anna Barashkova cattle-breeding camps sparsely distributed. We visited also the authorities of the East-Kazakhstan department of the Forest and Wildlife Committee and the NGO “Eco-Altai” in Ust-Kamenogorsk (the center of East-Kazakhstan region) in order to arrange about the support in obtaining data on Pallas’s cat and distributing of educational materials.
2. We developed special questionnaire with questions on Pallas’s cat findings, threats, etc. As there are two official languages in Kazakhstan we made two variants – in Russian and Kazakh languages. We distributed these questionnaires through the governmental and nongovernmental environmental institutions with the help of our partner organization in Kazakhstan – the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK). In order to avoid expensive international postages we noted the address of ACBK in survey list to send filled up questionnaires back. In such a way the official letters with questionnaires were sent to all departments of Forest and Wildlife Committee of Ministry of Agriculture of Republic of Kazakhstan (including hunting agencies and protected areas). We also interviewed students from local university (East-Kazakhstan University), biologists from the Institute of Zoology, local environmentalists and other specialists who could know something on Pallas’s cat.





3. We carry out additional trip (two team members) to former capital of Kazakhstan in March 2010. During this trip we visited some organizations (“Ochotzooprom”, “GIS-Terra”, etc.) including our partner (ACBK) to take data and talk over the data obtaining process. We visited local natural museums (in the Institute of Zoology and in the University), interviewed zoologists and conservationists.
4. We also gathered data interrogating by the telephone with specialists and other people if we couldn’t visit them (in other regions of Kazakhstan).
5. We analyzed also all available sources where data on Pallas’s cat may be – literature, Internet sites, articles, etc. In order to suppose Pallas’s cat habitats we used also gap analyses in GIS (landscape layers, topographic maps, remote sensing data).

Total there were interviewed about 40 organizations and about 160 persons in such away.

We have been received official answers from institutions until end of the project. Most likely we’ll obtain it later on too. In order to control interviewing process we telephoned every one of organization.

Local involvement. Local students and specialists from local conservation and other organizations took part in data obtaining. The student of the East-Kazakhstan University (Ust-Kamenogorsk city) Artem Akentiev was a field team member. He interviewed also the students of his University. Albert Salemgareev (ACBK) and Sagyndyk Ishangali (Institute of Archaeology, Almaty city) gathered data distributing questionnaires among their colleagues and local people. A set of data was observed through the hunter’s forum in the web.

All data on Pallas’s cat obtained was entered into GIS data base on Pallas’s cat in Kazakhstan. Thus we accumulated more than 100 points for Pallas’s cat presence in Kazakhstan (in 1930-2010 periods). The data base will be permanently filled up as new data obtains.

We developed and published the educational posters on Pallas’s cat with the call to protect Pallas’s cat. These posters were given to local people during the field work. At the same time talking with locals we told about the rarity of this wild cat and the necessity of its conservation. A part of posters was distributed among hunters, rangers, students, and others through the ACBK and the Forest and Wildlife Committee. Additional publications were the table calendars (for 2010) we sent to offices of Forest and Wildlife Committee regional departments.

Project results

1. Some data on past and modern Pallas’s cat number and distribution and threats was obtained.
   We analyzed the period beginning with the early 1900-s. As almost all data on Pallas’s cat in Kazakhstan was accumulated in the book of A.A. Sludsky (1973) and this data is devoted to the situation before 1960-s we used this information for description of the situation before 1960-s (as a baseline). A.A. Sludsky had the opportunity to look through the skin parties when Pallas’s cat was game species (before red listing in 1976) and so he has real data as well as surveyed. We outlined Pallas’s cat range in GIS project accordingly to findings described by A. Sludsky (fig. 2).

   

   The similar picture is in the book of Nowell and Jackson (1996) which is the summary of statuses of wild cat species in the end of XX century.

   Accordingly to Nowell and Jackson (1996) the Pallas’s cat area in Kazakhstan has been essentially increased. Thus the manul has disappeared from much of the Caspian region (fig. 3). The main reason of Pallas’s cat number decrease was skin harvesting for sale.

   

   At the same time not all territory outlined by K. Nowell and P. Jackson accordingly to A. Sludsky is appropriate for Pallas’s cat living. Obviously we should exclude purely sand massifs such as Karakum sands or sands in the South Balkhash lake area. The flat depressions with saline lands (e.g. Zaissain lake depression, Aral Sea depression, Ili river valley, Golodnaya steppe in Betpak-Dala) are not inhabited by Pallas’s cat, it can be found here only exceptionally (in the small rocky and hilly massifs situated inside). The territories with average snow death more than 20-30 sm are not used by Pallas’s cat too (Talassky Alatau ridge, Ugamsky ridge, high-altitude parts of Jungarsky Alatau, Zailiisky Alatau and Kirgizsky ridges, etc.). The snow death bounds the north edge of Pallas’s cat range particularly. So there was the mosaic range originally.

   Accordingly to literature data and data obtained during this project it’s obvious that Pallas’s cat range reduced. Most probably Pallas’s cat became very rare (or even extinct) in some parts of Caspian area and the hilly steppes of western and central Kazakhstan. Most probably the northern edge of range has shifted to south as northern parts of Kazakhstan were mostly used (including ploughing up) and they are relatively more populated.

   Basing on data obtained we can suggest the modern Pallas’s cat distribution as on the figure 4 but we need to carry out thorough research to verify our assumption (firstly to precise the northern boundary). The separate investigation should be carried out in order to make number estimations and to estimate the number reduction. The present work can only suppose bigger or smaller species occurrence. The data obtained is not enough to make estimations.




2. There were obtained the cases of threats to Pallas’s cat in Kazakhstan.
   There were recorded following threats to Pallas’s cat:
   - Killing for skins (poaching nowadays)
   - Killing by herders’ dogs
   - Occasional trapping in traps set for other species (foxes, badgers, etc.)

   We need to obtain more data to evaluate the threats’ rate for Pallas’s cat in Kazakhstan and to take measures to reduce the threats’ effect.

3. There were outlined the places of high conservation value for the species.
   Most likely Pallas’s cats were always more numerous in the eastern part of Kazakhstan especially in Kazakh Upland and in the south and east of the Almaty region. Just because of it Pallas’s cat seemed to be extinct in the western part of Kazakhstan (Caspian region) as the number declined and so it became found sufficiently more rarely in the western part. Most probably it inhabits this area but it’s very rare and so is almost never observed by locals. At the same time the range was probably reduced too (may be very fragmented). Even in Kazakh Upland there are territories where local people never meet this species and even don’t know it. Such territories bounds with those where local people are famous with Pallas’s cat and found it rather often. Apparently this fact is depends on people knowledge (the hunters may know more about fauna than herders though there are opposite cases) and really on rarity of species locally (e.g. because of very deep snow just in concrete place).

   The places where Pallas’s cat occurs more often (they include typical habitats) are on the fig. 5. These are Central and Eastern parts of the Kazakhstan Upland and South-Eastern part of Almaty region.

   

   It’s necessary to carry out thorough research on the species number and distribution here in order to specify territories for the species protection.

4. The spatial data base on Pallas’s cat was created using GIS methods (ArcView 3.2 and ArcGIS 9.3).
   Data on Pallas’s cat in Kazakhstan (found in different sources and obtained during the research) was entered into spatial GIS data base. This data base includes points of findings, names of respondents or authors, observation, dates of observation and sites. The attributive tables consist of other information also (e.g. reasons of deaths, information on respondents, places, etc.). During the field work we collected a set of photographs of Pallas’s cat habitats in Kazakh Upland and Northern Balkhash Lake area. The photos of other places were given by other people. The collection is continually filled up (including photos of other persons). Henceforth this data base will be added by new data. We intend to make this data base as main data base on Pallas’s cat in Kazakhstan which will be presented to interested persons and organizations (see the sample of GIS data base on fig. 6).
   
   



5. The information on Pallas’s cat was distributed among local people in order to inform them about this species and the necessity of its conservation.
   The educational posters on Pallas’s cat were distributed among local people.

Pallas’s cat is not the only cat species inhabited Kazakhstan. There are also jungle cat (Felis chaus), Asian wildcat (Felis silvestris ornata) and Sand cat (Felis margarita). The Pallas’s cat survey is embarrassed because the people often mix up these species. On the other hand these species sometimes use the same habitats. So it’s necessary to study all small wild cats at once in order to understand the real situation (including study competitions and other interspecific influences). Knowing this we could conclude on real species’ statuses.

The present project became the first attempt for Pallas’s cat study in Kazakhstan. As a result there was created the base for further investigations of this species, firstly it’s necessary to carry out species censuses (snow-tracking) in the main habitats in Kazakhstan.

References:

1. Grachev Yu.A. Manul. In Red Book of Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 1996. Vol.1, part 1. PP. 240-241;
2. Nowell, K.; Jackson, P. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan: Wild Cats, 1996;
3. Ross, S., Murdoch, J., Mallon, D., Sanderson, J. & Barashkova, A. 2008. Otocolobus manul. In IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. . Downloaded on 04 February 2010 (http://www.redlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15640/0);
4. Sludsky A.A. Number and distribution of wild cats in USSR. In Game mammals of Kazakstan, Alma-Ata, 1973. PP. 5-106.

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