Please find details below of a new article added to our Bibliography:
Title: First Photographic Evidence of Pallas’s Cat (Otocolobus manul) from Himachal Pradesh, India
Author: Sharma, C., Thuktan, T., Tobge, R., Angrup, D., Chhering, D., Sherab, T., Chhering, T., Bajaj, D., Khanyari, M., Suryawanshi, K.
Abstract: While the study of carnivore ecology has made significant progress, our knowledge of small cats remains limited. For some species, their distribution remains largely unknown. We report the first photographic evidence of the Pallas’s cat in Himachal Pradesh, India. Of the 56 camera traps placed for snow leopard population estimation across Kinnaur region between March-May 2024, we recorded Pallas’s cat at three camera trap sites with 19 images from three instances during morning hours. These captures were at an elevation of 3900–4100 meters in rocky habitats largely dominated by boulders and cliffs. Sympatric carnivores captured were snow leopard (Panthera uncia), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), stone marten (Martes foina) and free-ranging dogs. This discovery not only extends the known distribution of Pallas’s cat but also underscores the urgent need for focused conservation research and action in this region, especially given the presence of free-ranging dogs. This can be achieved through coordinated, landscape level and trans-boundary efforts.
URL: https://snowleopardnetwork.org/b/show.php?record=1765