Become an RZSS member
Pallas's cat conservation
Project background
The iconic Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) is, like it’s larger cousin the Snow leopard, a ghost of the high mountains. However, despite the Pallas’s cat’s popularity across social media for their unique character, they (like other small cats) suffer from a lack of conservation action and support. RZSS is committed to changing this for Pallas’s cat and ensuring pro-active conservation measures can be delivered.
RZSS is the holder of the Pallas’s cat European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) and the International Studbook (ISB) and so plays a key role in the global captive population management of the species. In addition, RZSS is helping to address the lack of data available for Pallas’s cat in a the wild, where it is largely understudied. By teaming up with Nordens Ark (Sweden) and the Snow Leopard Trust (USA), RZSS has helped establish the first global conservation project for the species – Pallas’s cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA).
The main aim of PICA is to increase conservation efforts for Pallas’s cats across range countries while increasing global awareness of the species, and providing education and support. By working closely with the Pallas’s cat Working Group (PCWG), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Cat Specialist Group (IUCN CSG) and researchers across the Pallas’s cat’s range, PICA is able to increase conservation capacity and action where it matters most. Following the publication of the 1st Pallas’s Cat Conservation Strategy (2019), developed by PICA and the IUCN CSG, and funded by Fondation Segre, PICA is able to deliver targeted conservation activities and connect ex-situ (captive) and in-situ (wild) efforts.
Project Aims
- Develop best practice guidance for Pallas’s cat identification and monitoring.
- Support targeted threat removal projects across the range
- Develop and distribute multi-lingual educational materials to increase awareness
- Collaborate with international specialists and stakeholders to implement the global conservation strategy
For more information about the project and to support the action, visit www.pallascats.org
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