CATS

Two Pallas cats live on Mount Everest, the incredible discovery

Tracks of two Pallas cats have been found on Mt. Everest.

The discovery was made by the 2019 Everest expedition of National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet, within Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal. Dr. Tracie Seimon, from the zoological health program at Wildlife Conservation Society said it is phenomenal to discover evidence of this rare and extraordinary species at the top of the world.

Researchers will continue to collect data on what appears to be a truly unique discovery.

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Pallas Cats on the Everest
Tracks of two Pallas cats have been found on Mt. Everest. The discovery was made by the 2019 Everest expedition of National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet, within Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal.
Getty Images (generic image)
A phenomenal discovery
Dr. Tracie Seimon, of the Zoological Health Program at Wildlife Conservation Society said it is phenomenal to discover evidence of this rare and extraordinary species on top of the world. Researchers will continue to collect data on what appears to be a truly unique discovery.
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The importance of discovery
Also according to Dr. Seimon: "The discovery of Pallas cat onEverest illuminates the rich biodiversity of this remote high mountain ecosystem and extends the known range of this species to eastern Nepal."
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The evidence collected
DNA analysis of the collected samples confirmed that two Pallas cats inhabit Mt. Everest and overlap in territory with the red fox. The researchers also found DNA evidence of pika and mountain weasel in the samples, which are an important food source for the very Pallas Cat.
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A protected breed
The discovery is also unique because this population of Pallas cat is legally protected by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
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