In Russia, they will start counting Pallas's cats.

      The company "Mars" and the interregional association "Irbis" have agreed to continue the program for studying and preserving the Pallas's cat in Russia. The agreement on the second phase of the project was signed at the Eastern Economic Forum.

      The first phase of the program started in 2025. This year, 190 camera traps were set up in Tuva, Buryatia, Altai, Zabaykalsky Krai, and Krasnoyarsk Krai. The cameras are expected to help scientists obtain more accurate data on the population of Pallas's cats in Russia for the first time in a long time.

      The Pallas's cat is one of the most elusive and least studied members of the cat family. Accurate information about the size of its population in the country is still lacking: systematic monitoring of the species has not been conducted for over ten years.

      At the same time, these rare cats are threatened by human activities. Pallas's cats may be hunted for their fur, and they also fall into snares and traps intended for marmots and hares. Additionally, they can die from poisoning during rodent extermination activities.

      Camera traps allow for monitoring animals without direct interference in their lives. Currently, the cameras are operating in five protected areas: the Sayano-Shushensky and Daursky nature reserves, the Ubsunur Hollow reserve, as well as the Saylyugemsky and Tunka national parks.

      The equipment is installed on special poles with markers. This is necessary to protect the cameras from accidental damage by livestock grazed by local residents.

      In the second phase, the network of camera traps is planned to be expanded. The data collected will be used by scientists to assess the population of Pallas's cats, study their movements, and prepare recommendations for species conservation. The scientific expertise of the program is conducted by specialists from the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

      In addition, the organizers intend to collaborate with colleagues from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. Specialists will exchange experiences and discuss methods for studying and protecting Pallas's cats.

      Particular attention will be paid to working with local residents. The organizers hope that educational activities will help find additional ways to combat poaching and make the habitats of Pallas's cats safer.