Programme Coordinator – Mikhail Morozov, Moscow Zoo, Russia
Pallas's cat (Otocolobus (Felis) manul) is the only cat species widespread in Eurasian steppes. It is listed as Near Threatened (NT) by the IUCN. Pallas's cat is included in the Red Data Books of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and China. The northern part of its range is found in Russia and Kazakhstan. The main problem in the management of Pallas's cats in captivity is the high percentage of stillborn kittens and exceptionally high mortality rate of kittens, especially in the first 6 months of life. It is assumed that the reason for this is the high susceptibility of Pallas's cats to toxoplasmosis because in captivity, these cats are susceptible to Toxoplasma. As a result of the programme, it is expected that a stable and genetically viable breeding ex situ population of Pallas's cats will be established at EARAZA institutions.
Goals of the programme:
- development of husbandry methods for the management of Pallas’s cats under artificial conditions;
- creation of the stable and genetically viable breeding ex situ population of Pallas's cats at EARAZA zoos and breeding centres;
- obtaining the most comprehensive information about the biology of the species;
- support of the in situ research and conservation projects.
Main objectives of the programme:
- optimization of housing and husbandry conditions for Pallas’s cats (enclosure design, selection of diets and feeding regimes depending on the stage of the biological cycle, methods of environmental enrichment);
- predicting critical stages in biological cycles (preparation for reproduction, raising offspring, transportation, stress, etc.) and developing measures for preventing negative effects;
- development of non-invasive and safe methods of the monitoring of animal physiological status;
- study of the animal immune status and the relationship between the functioning of the immune system and stress under various conditions of artificial environment;
- development of a unified programme of medical examination; creation of a database on the health status of Pallas's cats kept at the zoos participating in the program;
- analysis of experience in the treatment and prevention of diseases with subsequent presentation of veterinary recommendations.
