Scientists from the Kopetdag, Badhyz, Koytendag, and Gaplangyr state nature reserves conducted a joint expedition in the high-altitude areas of the Kopetdag Mountains to search for traces of the Pallas's cat (manul), a rare predatory feline. The newspaper “Turkmenistan” reported this.

In the fourth edition of the Red Book of Turkmenistan, published in 2024, this wild cat was assigned the status of an "endangered species." In the IUCN Red List, its status is classified as "Least Concern," although it was previously considered "Near Threatened."

Scientific sources indicate that the Pallas's cat was frequently encountered in the mountains of Turkmenistan during the late XIX and mid-XX centuries. There is little precise information regarding its habitats.

During observations conducted by nature reserve scientists since 2018, the Pallas's cat was recorded on Mount Dushakerek (within the Kopetdag State Nature Reserve), Mount Murze, in the Dashtoy Valley, and in the Bolshoy Balkhan Mountains.

During observations conducted this winter jointly with staff from the Balkan Environmental Protection Department, a Pallas's cat was captured on camera by a camera trap on Mount Kichi-Balkan.

The Pallas's cat is one of the smallest wild cats. While similar in appearance and size to a domestic cat, it differs in having a shorter, stockier body and legs, round pupils, low-set ears, and long, dense fur. Its fur is the fluffiest and thickest among the felids; the coat is unevenly colored—typically gray, with reddish or ochre tones on certain parts of the body.

It inhabits Central Asia, as well as Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, Russia, China, and India. The Pallas's cat is not adapted for running fast but is an expert at camouflage. It is a very cautious animal, making its den in rock crevices or the burrows of other animals. The cat also has a habit of hiding in the grass. For this reason, the Pallas's cat rarely encounters humans and remains a little-studied species.