Pallas’s cat
Otocolobus manul
The Pallas’s cat or manul, which has a thick coat, lives in harsh, treeless steppes, and can withstand temperatures as low as -50°C. Its smooth crown and small ears help it camouflage itself in stony environments. This solitary animal usually moves round in the dark. In the day time, the manul prefers to rest in cracks in rocks and small caves.
As an animal of cold regions, the manul is sensitive to a range of diseases, which domestic cats, for example, can carry. Poaching for fur is another threat to wild manuls.
Conservation
This species and the individuals living in Korkeasaari Zoo are part of an ex-situ conservation programme by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria EAZA, known as the EEP. The aim of the EEP is to maintain a healthy zoo population of the species, and to make reintroductions to the wild possible in the future if needed.
Pallas’s cat is part of the CITES convention, which regulates the international trade of endangered or threatened animals and plants.
Korkeasaari Zoo has an ongoing project to support the conservation of Pallas’s cats in the wild.
EAZA Ex-situ Programme
Endangerment
Distribution
Habitat
Diet
Size
Lifespan
Up to 12 years
Scientific classification
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae