The Moscow Zoo hosted a roundtable discussion entitled “Adaptation of Pallas’s Cats to Captive Environment”.

On April 23, 2026, on the International Pallas’s Cat Day, a roundtable discussion dedicated to various
aspects of the adaptation of Pallas’s cats to captive environment was held at the Moscow Zoo. The event was organized on the initiative of Mikhail Morozov, lead zoologist of the Moscow Zoo and Coordinator of the EARAZA Program on the study, conservation and breeding of the Pallas’s cat. The meeting was attended by Moscow Zoo specialists and professionals from research and conservation organizations including the Federal Service for Supervision in the Use of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor), A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg), Leningrad Zoo, Barnaul Zoo, Krasnoyarsk Park of Flora and Fauna “Roev Ruchei”, Interregional Association "Center for the Study and Conservation of the Snow Leopard "Irbis", Budgetary
Institution of the Republic of Buryatia "Natural Management and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Buryatia"; (BI Burpriroda), Saylyugemsky National Park (the Altai Republic), Tunkinsky National Park (the Republic of Buryatia), Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Reserve (the Republic of Tyva), Land of the Leopard National Park (Primorsky Krai), as well as representatives of the Manul Working Group and Irbis Mongolia Center NGO (Mongolia).

At the opening of the meeting, Svetlana Akulova, General Director of the Moscow Zoo and EARAZA
President made a welcome address. “We carefully observe Pallas’s cats from a distance but don’t exactly know the needs of these animals when they get into a difficult situation. Cases of abandoned kittens being found in the steppe or adult cats in need of help are becoming more frequent, while the guidelines for the actions in such cases are still disparate. Our task is to gather all available information for developing a sound approach to address this problem,” said Svetlana Akulova.

The participants of the event presented reports on the assistance that can provided to Pallas’s cats in the wild, paperwork required for the removal of animals from the wild if necessary, and rehabilitation and preparation of Pallas’s cats for the release into the wild. Experts also spoke about plans to build a
rehabilitation center in the Daursky Nature Reserve and educational activity carried out in the Pallas’s cat habitats.

Further information and photos are available at the following link