6:30 AM
Keepers at Banham Zoo are celebrating their first arrival of Pallas cat kittens. (click here)
Four kittens were born at the attraction at the end of April and have recently emerged from their nest box.
Staff at the zoo had been hoping their secretive Pallas pair would breed since 2009 when a male arrived from Jihlava Zoo, Czech Republic to join the female as part of the European Breeding Programme.
Pallas cats are classified as “near threatened” in the wild because of over hunting and poisoning and inhabit parts of central Asia and northern China. There are currently 125 Pallas cats in the European programme....
The Pallas's cat is familiar with the Himalayan Mountains as home. It is considered Near Threatened due to the destruction of habitat involving tourism as well as over hunting and poisoning.
Behavior: (click here)
Most active at dawn and dusk, these elusive cats are solitary except during mating season or when a mother is caring for her kittens—teaching them the skills they will need for survival. Pallas’ cats den in small caves and cracks and in the abandoned burrows of marmots, foxes and badgers. They are adapted for life in cold climates where temperatures may reach lows of minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Their extremely thick and heavy coats and long bushy tails help them combat the cold. These cats are not adept runners but are excellent ambush predators. Their coloration blends into the vegetation allowing them to sneak up on prey.
