Cat on the Roof of the World: Pallas’s cat DNA found on Mount Everest
The cats share their territory with the red fox. Their main prey on Everest are pika, a cousin of the rabbit and mountain weasel
There is some good news for Himalayan wildlife lovers. DNA of Pallas’s cat, a small felid species, has been found on Mount Everest. Photo for representation: iStock
There is some good news for Himalayan wildlife lovers. DNA of Pallas’s cat, a small felid species, has been found on Mount Everest. Photo for representation: iStock
Pallas’s cat or manul is known scientifically as Otocolobus manul. Otocolobus is a Greek word meaning ‘ugly-eared’. Photo for representation: iStock
From April 7 to May 2, 2019, scientists from eight countries collected environmental samples from two locations six kilometres (3.7 miles) apart at 5,110 and 5,190 metres (16,765 and 17,027 feet) elevation above sea level along Sagarmatha National Park on Mount Everest’s Southern Flank, according to National Geographic Magazine. Photo for representation: iStock
The cats share their territory with the red fox. Their main prey on Everest are pika, a cousin of the rabbit and mountain weasel, the DNA of which the researchers discovered as well. Photo for representation: iStock
The scientists were quoted as saying that the discovery of Pallas’s cat on Everest “illuminates the rich biodiversity of this remote high-alpine ecosystem and extends the known range of this species to eastern Nepal.” Photo for representation: iStock
