Conservation of Pallas’s cat

Project Animal(s) : Pallas's cat (Otocolobus manul)
Project Category : Mammals
Project Region : Across the World, Asia, Europe
Project Type : Conservation
Project URL : http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=103
Project is timebound? : No

The Pallas’s cat is included in Appendix II of CITES and hunting is prohibited in Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. However, in several areas, protection only exists on paper but is not enforced. In Mongolia, hunting is allowed the whole year round. Hunting licenses can be purchased to export trophies. There is a lack of information about the national legislations from Georgia and Tajikistan. In Afghanistan, the Pallas’s cat is legally protected since 2009 and hunting and trade is prohibited within the country. Further measures are needed to improve law enforcement in order to limit illegal hunting and trading of Pallas’s cats. Training for wildlife rangers could help to reduce poaching.

There have been very few studies conducted about the Pallas’s cat. Recent and ongoing studies from Mongolia and Russia have increased information. This includes insight in its ecology and current threats from numerous radio-collared Pallas’s cats in Mongolia. Research has also highlighted the importance of improving protection within and outside of reserve areas. Despite 12% of the Pallas’s cat’s distribution in Mongolia lying within protected areas, illegal hunting is still frequent in these areas and Pallas’s cat’s large home range size may result in the species being difficult to protect within reserves. Protection of Pallas’s cats within reserves in Russia has increased and approximately 13% of the species’ range in Russia lies now within protected areas. The establishment of monitoring programs, distribution surveys and further research is urgently needed to better understand its ecology, spatial requirements, occupancy, habitat and resource needs and to be able to assess the species’ status more accurately. This will help to improve the management and conservation of the Pallas’s cat.

Project Agency : Cat Specialist Group

Project Agency Contact : http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=1

Additional Information :

http://www.catsg.org/index.php?id=13