Pallas’ Cat ecology and Conservation in the Semi-desert Steppes of Mongolia
James D. Murdoch1, Tserendorj Munkhzul2, and Richard P. Reading3
he Pallas’ cat Otocolobus cally by hand – Pallas’ cats are docile ment Programme 2001; World Bank manul is a unique, arid-adapt- and rarely flee far when approached. We Group 2001). Ted cat that ranges across the fitted each cat with a ~35g VHF radio In Mongolia, Pallas’ cats are threat- steppes of Central Asia. Known to collar that comprised approximately 1% ened mainly by over-hunting and occur from Tibet in the south to Sibe- of body weight. Using locations obtained poaching. Despite their near threatened ria in the north, the Pallas’ cat inhab- through radio telemetry, we estimated status, Pallas’ cats are legally hunted in its a wide variety of grassland, semi- home range size for 3 cats from January Mongolia. The national law governing desert, and desert habitats (Heptner 2005 to June 2005. Preliminary home wildlife stipulates that Pallas’ cats may & Naumov 1992). Despite its range, ranges for these animals were 15.2 and be hunted for ‘household purposes’, little is known of the ecology or be- 5.8 km2 for females and 12.5 km2 for the provided that hunters obtain permits haviour of the species and few details male (calculated as 90% fixed kernels from local (soum) governments (Win- exist on its population and conserva- – LSCV; ranges based on >35 nightly gard & Odgerel 2001). The permit sys- tion status. The paucity of informa- locations per animal). We captured the tem, however, is largely ineffective and tion on the species poses considerable fourth cat in May, but require additional unrealistic as herders in rural areas rare- challenges to wildlife managers and locations to generate a range. Although ly have the resources to travel to soum conservationists in Asia. our sample size is small, in the coming centres to obtain permits. The law is months we hope to capture additional also ambiguously worded. Permits are In 2005, we began a research project cats to evaluate habitat use and activity valid for up to 5 days, but details on the to understand basic information on the patterns through sequential tracking. number of cats that may be harvested ecology and conservation of Pallas’ cats Weekly observations indicate that per permit are not provided. Similarly, in the semi-desert steppes of Mongolia Pallas’ cats are primarily nocturnal, the law does not indicate the number of – a region where the status of the species resting in shallow rock crevices and permits that may be obtained by each remains largely unknown. Our goals are dens during the day. They typically household per year or include an ade- to quantify the fundamental ecology of rest in steep, rocky, semi-desert areas quate reporting process. Such ambigui- the species, identify major threats to its and hunt in open grasslands where the ties allow wide interpretation that could survival, and develop conservation ac- density and diversity of small mammals lead to over-exploitation of the species. tions for populations in arid regions of are highest. We have collected some cat In any case, law enforcement through- Mongolia. Our study site is in the Ikh faeces from our study site that will be out most of Mongolia is weak at best. Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve, which analyzed in 2006. However, droppings In the Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature is located in the Dalanjargal Soum are often difficult to find as the cats bury Reserve, Pallas’ cats are actively hunt- (county) of the Dornogobi Aimag (prov- them. A preliminary analysis of faeces ed. Although all forms of hunting are ince) in central Mongolia (N45.723º suggests that Pallas’ cats feed mainly on illegal in the reserve, poaching of cats E108.645º). The reserve lies along the gerbils Meriones spp. and jerboas Dipus inside the reserve occurs – indeed, an eastern edge of the Gobi Desert at the sagitta and Allactaga spp. Pallas’ cats illegal hunter killed one radio collared confluence of grassland and semi-desert also prey on argali sheep Ovis ammon cat within reserve boundaries in 2005. ecosystems and includes a variety of lambs at our site during spring months To gather information on attitudes to- steppe habitats. The reserve harbours (Reading et al. 2005). ward hunting and factors that lead to Pallas’ cats and several other carnivores The Pallas’ cat is listed as Near poaching, we conducted interviews including marbled polecats Vormela Threatened by the IUCN and under with herders living in the reserve and peregusna, corsac foxes Vulpes corsac, Appendix II in CITES (IUCN - World surrounding areas. Our preliminary re- red foxes Vulpes vulpes, Eurasian badg- Conservation Union 2004; UNEP- sults found that Pallas’ cats are hunted ers Meles meles, wolves Canis lupus, WCMC 2004). Both listings are in mainly for furs that are sold to Chinese and lynx Eurasian Lynx lynx. Our in- response to a perceived decline of the traders. Furs sell from US$10 to $15 to vestigations of Pallas’ cats are part of a species throughout its range. The extent traders and are often manufactured into larger study that examines the ecology of the decline remains unknown and hats and coats for Russian and Chinese of these and other steppe carnivores. requires quantification to better under- markets. Pallas’ cats are also sought for To date, we have captured and de- stand the current plight facing this cat. the live trade. In our study area, interna- ployed radio transmitters on 4 Pallas’ Several factors threaten the survival of tional traders pay up to US$100 for live cats, 1 male and 3 females. Our results Pallas’ cats and other steppe carnivores cats that are illegally exported to China. at this point, however, remain quite pre- including loss of habitat, hunting, and Herders also use Pallas’ cat body parts liminary. We captured cats using large illegal trade (Pratt et al. 2004; Reading locally for medicinal purposes. For ex- wire-mesh box traps and opportunisti- et al. 1998; United Nations Environ- ample, herders often use the fat of Pal-
18 Autumn 2006 las’ cats to sooth and relieve frostbite. The impacts of hunting for household and commercial purposes on Pallas’ cat populations remains unknown. Disease may also pose a risk to Pal- las’ cats in our study area. Studies in central Mongolia indicate that toxoplas- mosis occurs in free-ranging Pallas’ cats and may contribute to declines (Brown et al. 2002). Disease exposure among Pallas’ cats in the drier Ikh Nartiin Chu- luu Nature Reserve is not known. How- ever, feral cats range across much of the reserve and have been observed during spotlight surveys and captured in traps. Feral cats may act as vectors for a vari- ety of diseases such as toxoplasmosis. Pallas’ cat conservation in the semi- desert steppes of Mongolia requires Pallas’ cat in the Ikh Nartiin Chuluu Nature Reserve, Dornogobi, Mongolia. Pallas’ cats of- several actions. Among the most impor- ten use rock crevices for shelter and protection from predators during the day (Photo: R. P. tant include: Reading). 1. Improving law enforcement efforts, especially in protected areas, to con- of their range from the steppes of Mon- Biodiversity and Conservation 13, 591- trol trade and limit poaching. In most golia and China to Siberia. Behavioural 613. of Mongolia, including many pro- research is also needed to understand Reading R. P., Amgalanbaatar S., Wingard tected areas, rangers and nature offic- the basic social organization of the spe- G. J., Kenny D. and DeNicola A. 2005. Ecology of Argali in Ikh Nartiin Chuluu, ers from local administrative centres cies. Dornogobi Aymag. Erforsch. Biol. Ress. are tasked with law enforcement. Yet, For more information on our project Mongolei (Halle/Saale) 9, 77-89. they generally lack the equipment, and Pallas’ cats in the Ikh Nartiin Chu- Reading R. P., Mix H., Lhagvasuren B. and training, and funding to adequately luu Nature Reserve, please visit our Tseveenmyadag N. 1998. The commer- enforce wildlife laws. The Mongo- website at: http://www.wildcru.org/ cial harvest of wildlife in Dornod Aimag, lian government and international or- links/mongolia/mongolia.htm. Mongolia. Journal of Wildlife Manage- ganizations desperately need to fund, ment 62, 59-71. train, and recruit more wildlife rang- United Nations Environment Programme- Acknowledgements WCMC. 2004. Checklist of CITES Spe- ers to strengthen enforcement efforts. Our research is supported by the Denver 2. Revamping the hunting permit sys- cies. Convention on International Trade Zoological Foundation, Rufford Founda- of Endangered Species. tem. In rural Mongolia, the permit tion, Trust for Mutual Understanding, and United Nations Environment Programme. system is ineffective and not en- Small Cat Conservation Alliance. We thank 2001. Mongolia: State of the Environ- forced. A more realistic system that is Claudio Sillero-Zubiri and Jim Sanderson ment 2002, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. acceptable to local people must be de- for reviewing this article. Wingard J. R. and Odgerel P. 2001. Com- veloped and implemented to regulate pendium of environmental law and prac- hunting of the species. References tice in Mongolia. GTZ, Ulaanbaatar, Brown M., Lappin M. R., Brown J. L., 3. Establishing monitoring programs Mongolia. Munkhtsog B. M. and Swanson W. F. World Bank Group. 2001. Mongolia Envi- for Pallas cats’ and other carnivores. 2002. Exploring the ecologic basis for Information on population trends is ronment Monitor, Ulaanbaatar, Mongo- extreme susceptibility of Pallas’ cats to lia. important for evaluating the status of fatal toxoplasmosis: Comparisons of the species, assessing the impact of wild and captive populations. Proceed- 1 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Uni- threats, and calculating harvest rates. ings of the American Association of Zoo versity of Oxford, Tubney House, Abingdon In addition, the monitoring program Veterinarians:12-15. Road, Tubney OX13 5QL, UK Heptner V. G. and Naumov N. P. (eds). 1992.
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