Building a network for identifying key habitats and research and conservation needs of Pallas’s cat in Iran

(PICA Small Grant Programme)

© Kooch Foundation for Biodiversity Conservation
Leader(s):

Niloufar Raeesi Chahartaghi

Organisation(s):

Kooch Foundation for Biodiversity Conservation

Period:

2019-2023

GOAL

Identify research and conservation needs of the species in its priority habitats.

Summary

Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul) is one of eight extant members of the family Felidae occurring in Iran and is a very less studied species like the rest of small wild cat species in the country. The outcomes, results and lesson learned of the preliminary research project implemented between 2014-2016 on Pallas’s cat in central Alborz proceeded us to get new records of the species in the study sites, contribute to publications on the species and achieve a range of ideas based on the research needs of the species.

Based on the strategy plan of the species, we aim to keep updating the database of the records of Pallas’s cat, prioritize the new target areas for testing the robust methods of estimating population size and density of the species, and establish a network of trained rangers to collect the records of the species. We actively use social media platforms to raise awareness on Pallas’s cat and expand the network.

TEAM

Yasaman Talebi Otaghvar, Pooriya Sepahvand, Mahgol Kazari, Azar Sedaghati Khayat

PARTNERS

Iran’s Department of Environment

SUPPORTED BY

PICA