The Sunday Species
10th June 2012

Latin Name: Otocolobus manul

Common Name: Pallas’s Cat

Location: Central Asia Steppe Grasslands

IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened
This is a beautiful small wild cat species of the majestic montane steppe grasslands of Mongolia, Asia and the Tibetan Plateau. They consume a variety of prey species such as marmots, pikas, voles, hares, gerbils, jerboas and even the lambs of the Argali sheep. The current, most serious threat to this species is the depletion of its prey; marmot and pika, which are poisoned to reduce competition with grazing livestock and because they are considered to be vectors for bubonic plague. It was also hunted for its fur up until the 1980s. Mongolia is the only remaining range country which permits hunting of this species despite its near threatened status.