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One Russian farmer found a litter of kittens in his barn – or at least that’s what they seemed to be until the man discovered the truth. The tiny kittens clearly needed his help to survive. Yet, they looked different than any other kittens the farmer had seen before.
To identify what kind of care they needed, the man called the Daursky Nature Reserve, where they confirmed that these were not regular cats. They were animals known as Palla’s cats or Manuls, a rare species of wild cats that are native to Central Asia.
Manul cats are a near-threatened wild cat species found in the grasslands and montane steppes of Central Asia. More commonly known as Pallas’ cats, they are distinguished by having round pupils, short legs, and a flat-looking face with wide-set ears that can create some of the funniest expressions in the feline kingdom. The scientifical name of this cat is Otocolobus, and it means ‘ugly-eared,’ so that is probably one of the reasons this fluffy cat looks so annoyed.
Though the Manul might look like a big cat, it’s mostly the fluff of his fur as he’s about the size and weight of a domestic cat. These adorable felines prefer to live in high altitudes of up to 15.000ft and enjoy the cold climate that comes with it. Being short and stubby these funny cats are poor runners, and if there’s a need to escape, they prefer to hide in the crevasses under boulders.
Back at the reserve, the staff decided to check if two regular cats at the rescue could nurse the newborn manuls.
Then, the point came to say farewell to these adorable cats and take them back to the wild where they belong. Since then, the rare cats adjusted to their natural environment and are just thriving.
