Pallas's cat

Manul

Status: VI category, Near Threatened, NT. Rare species throughout its range.

Distribution in general and in the country. In Kyrgyzstan, it inhabits the high-altitude zone of the Kemin Gorge, the Issyk-Kul basin, Central and Inner Tien Shan, including Sary-Jaz: Enilchek, Adyr-Ter, Keikap, Koylu, Ak-Shyirak, Yshtak-Karasay, Taragai, Kyzyl-Bel, Jetim, Uzyengyu-Kuush, Naryn-Too, At-Bashi, Kokshaal-Too. It may also inhabit the mountain systems of Southern Kyrgyzstan: in the highlands of Alai, on the northern slopes of the Turkestan ridge, in the upper reaches of the Kara-Kulja and Tar rivers, but the information is unreliable [4, 9, 10]. It is sporadically distributed everywhere.

Habitat. Usually lives in steppe areas of low mountains, but in Tien Shan conditions, it occupies alpine steppes and syrts. It settles on rocky, treeless mountain slopes, on stony screes, on grassy slopes of syrts, along riverbanks, preferring snowless, sparsely vegetated areas near marmot colonies [9, 11]. It lives in rock crevices, screes, and sometimes in marmot burrows.

Population. Information is sporadic, limited, and often unreliable. It is occasionally caught in small numbers during marmot hunting. Special population counts in 1977-1979 in high-altitude areas of Inner Tien Shan showed that in some localities, its population density is quite high: in Sarychat, 10-12 individuals were recorded over an area of 14,000 ha [9]. However, in May-June 1998, not a single individual was observed in these same areas [12]. According to verbal reports from A. Vereshchagin [13], it inhabits small numbers in snowless areas of the syrt zone of the Sarychat-Ertash Nature Reserve.

Life cycle. A nocturnal predator, it leads a secretive lifestyle. It is sedentary but may migrate to less snowy areas in heavy snow winters. It makes its den in rock crevices, possibly in abandoned marmot burrows. Breeding occurs in February-March, with 3-4, and rarely 2-10 kittens born in April-May. Its main diet consists of pikas, marmots, voles, and other mouse-like rodents, as well as birds.

Limiting factors. Anthropogenic: poaching, marmot hunting; development of high-altitude areas, as well as heavy snow winters [14, 15], competitors (foxes, stone martens), enemies (wolves, foxes, dogs, large birds of prey), and disturbance factors.

Breeding (captivity). It breeds successfully in captivity. In zoos around the world, 54 individuals were kept in the early 1980s [4, 10].

Existing conservation measures. Listed in the Red Data Books of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Hunting has been prohibited since 1972. In 1975, it was included in the List of specially protected species, and in 1985, it was added to the Red Data Book of the Kyrgyz SSR. It is protected in the territories of the Naryn and Sarychat-Ertash reserves.

Recommended conservation measures. Introduce a ban on marmot hunting in the syrt zone, create special reserves.

Manul

Pallas’s cat
Otocolobus manul (Pallas, 1776)
Status: VI category, Near Threatened, NT. Rare species throughout its area, inhabits highlands of Kemin Gorge, Issyk-Kul Region, Central and Inner Tien Shan, including Sary-Jaz, Enilchek, Adyr-Ter, Keikap, Koylu, Ak-Ashyirak, Yshtyk-Karasay, Taragai, Kyzyl-Bel, Jetim, Uzyengyu-Kuush, Naryn-Too, At-Bashi, Kokshaal-Too Mountainous Ridges. Probably occurs in the high mountains of Alai, northern slopes of Turkestan Mountainous Ridges, upper river streams Kara-Kulja and Tar, but data are not reliable. Distribution is sporadic. Usually lives in steppe habitats of low mountains, but in Tien Shan, it prefers alpine steppe and syrts (highland plains and hills) zones along with stone taluses, selects snowless scarse scrubby spots next to marmot colonies. Occupies rocky clefts, marmot burrows. Nocturnal predator, extremely reserved, that is why all data on stock are occasional and not reliable. However, special census efforts undertaken in 1977-1979 proved existence of 10-12 Cats in Sarychat locality within area of 14,000 ha. There was no single Cat observed in 1998 in the same census site. Another source states that there are several animals in snowless spots in Sarychat-Ertash zapovednik (protected area). Almost no data available on breeding biology for Kyrgyzstan. This is a resident species. Usually mating season starts in February-March, females deliver usually 3-4, and rarer 2-10 kittens. Uses for food pikas, marmots, small rodents, birds. Limiting factors are direct poaching and poaching after its major prey - marmots, Sheppard dogs, winters with too much snow, and competitors such as wolves, foxes, large birds of prey. There are successful captivity breeding cases throughout the world. Included into Red Books of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Hunting has been prohibited in Kyrgyzstan since 1972. It is recommended to cease commercial hunting after marmots and establish special protected areas.