TEHRAN -- A rare sighting of the elusive Pallas’s cat has been reported once more in Iran’s southeastern Kerman province, raising hopes for the species’ conservation in the region.
According to the head of Kerman’s Department of Environment, one of the local environmental volunteers succeeded in observing two Pallas’s cat cubs in the mountainous area of Rabor County, capturing an image of one of them.
Due to the considerable distance between the two cubs, photographing the second one was not possible.
Officials say this rare sighting suggests a potential increase in the local population of this vulnerable species, which is known for its reclusive nature and declining numbers across its native range in Central Asia and parts of the Iranian plateau.
The Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul), also known as the manul, is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to habitat loss, prey depletion, and other environmental pressures. The species is extremely difficult to monitor due to its solitary behavior and elusive presence.
Conservation experts in Iran consider repeated sightings of the animal in Kerman a positive indicator and are calling for heightened protection measures to safeguard its habitat and support possible population recovery in the region.