Recently, a camera trap captured this striking member of the feline family at an altitude of 4,992 meters in the Eastern Himalayas, within the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Pallas’s cat is just one of several wild cat species found in this state. Snow leopards, common leopards, clouded leopards, leopard cats, and marble cats also call this region home.
This grumpy-looking manul had not been seen in the area before. The photograph, which serves as the first evidence of the species’ presence in Arunachal Pradesh, showcases the Pallas’s cat in a particularly picturesque setting. This photographic evidence is significant because manuls are among the least studied wild cats and rarely appear on camera.
The sighting of manuls in this Indian state indicates an expansion of their known habitat in the Eastern Himalayas. They have previously been spotted in the state of Sikkim (India), Bhutan, and eastern Nepal.
So, scientists caught a manul on camera
From July to September 2024, researchers from WWF India (the Indian branch of the World Wildlife Fund) and the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department set up 136 camera traps across 83 remote high-altitude locations.
Covering over 2,000 square kilometers of rugged terrain, the devices remained active for more than eight months, often in sub-zero temperatures and at elevations exceeding 4,000 meters. This marks one of the largest wildlife research efforts in the region’s history, as reported by Live Science.
“The detection of a manul in Arunachal Pradesh at an altitude of around 5,000 meters is a compelling reminder of how little we still know about life in the high Himalayas,” said Rishi Kumar Sharma, the head of the research program.
What else is known about this cat?
The manul is considered a close relative of domestic cats. It diverged from leopard cats about 5.2 million years ago, making it one of the oldest wild cat species still living on Earth. Manuls are distributed across Asia, from Iran in the west to Mongolia and China in the east.
These wild cats are not as large as they may appear. They weigh up to 5 kilograms, with a body length of 45-65 cm and a tail length of 21-31 cm. Their massive appearance is due to their extraordinary fluffiness, with about 9,000 hairs growing per square centimeter on their backs. Compact and covered in dense fur, they blend seamlessly into rocky slopes covered with shrubs.
Manuls are nocturnal predators that hunt at dusk, ambushing rodents, small birds, and lizards. To survive the harsh cold (down to -50 °C), Pallas’s cats often stand on their fluffy tails, using their fur to shield themselves from the frozen ground.
These animals prefer to avoid contact with humans. Because of this, along with their perpetually grumpy expression, they are often perceived as angry and unfriendly. Additionally, manuls produce distinctive sounds that resemble a mix of growls, barks, and grumbles.
Photo: Openverse