Iran: One of the World’s Rarest Wild Cats Dies

11th October 2024

2 minutes read

Iran: One of the World's Rarest Wild Cats Dies

The Environmental Protection Organization in the city of Shirvan, in the Khorasan province, northeastern Iran, confirmed on Thursday the death of one of the rarest wild cats in the world.

The head of the organization, Meysam Bagheri, told the official IRNA news agency that “one of the rarest wild cats in the world died due to fatal mistakes by the Environmental Protection Organization in Shirvan.” He added that the cat is known as the Pallas’s cat or manul.

He explained that a shepherd had found the cat alive last month in the Sarani region, in the border areas of Shirvan, and handed it over to the Environmental Protection Organization.

The agency also quoted an environmental activist, who requested anonymity, saying that the cat had died four weeks ago. “This rare wild cat was spotted in the region two months ago, and the environmental protection administration issued an order to ‘bring it back to life’.”

According to this person, while the “survival” of wild animals should occur in special conditions with all necessary precautions, the Pallas’s cat was placed in a birdcage. Due to this mistake and severe stress, the cat lost its appetite, which significantly weakened it.

The head of Shirvan’s environmental administration said that the immature cat had been left alone in the wild for several days, far from its mother. After being handed over to the administration, they were unable to release it back into the wild due to its physical weakness. The Pallas’s cat died after 12 days despite receiving care.

Meanwhile, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), a source familiar with the conditions for keeping Pallas’s cats said that the animal had the potential to be released into the wild after its recovery, but “this time, the release was delayed.”

He added that ultimately, this rare long-lived animal “died due to the length of time it spent in the cage, and the unsuitable conditions that led to its death.”

The Pallas’s cat is one of the rarest wild cats in Iran and the world. This type of animal is nocturnal, highly alert, and extremely difficult to observe.

The Pallas’s cat is larger than a domestic cat, and its main distinguishing features are the black spots on its forehead and its small rounded ears, which are positioned at an angle on its head.