Pallas’s cat or manul: Red Data Book of Armenia

Cats - Felidae

Status. Most likely, it no longer exists in the country. Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (ver. 3.1) as Near Threatened NT. According to IUCN criteria categorized as Regionally Extinct RE.

Distribution. Distributed in Central Asia.

Distribution in Armenia. Recorded in only two sites (Urts Ridge and Meghri district), the latest of which is dated 1935. Nagorno Karabakh, Nakhichevan and the Arax riverside in northern Iran adjoin this range.

Habitats. Arid grasslands and semi–deserts with rocks and cliffs.

Biological traits. A female harvested on May 19, 1927 had 3 fetuses covered with fur. The litter size is 3–4, up to 10 cubs.

Population size and its trends. Most likely, does not live in Armenia any more. Meantime, the manul is notorious for its exceptional concealing ability so is hard to be discovered.

Major threats. The potential threats are poaching and habitat destruction.

Conservation measures. Arevik National Park. It is essential to enforce stringent control over poaching and other human activities within the range.