Findings from a brand-new paper released in Cat News have actually determined the first ever report of Pallass cat on Mount Everest, in the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal. Credit: Julie Larsen/Maher/WCS
A brand-new clinical finding marks the first documented discovery of Pallass Cat on the worlds highest mountain.
A brand-new paper published in Cat News has made a landmark identification of the first taped sighting of Pallass feline on Mount Everest, situated in Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal. This extraordinary discovery is a result of the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, which was the most extensive clinical expedition to the mountain in history.
From April 7th to May 2nd, 2019, Dr. Tracie Seimon, a co-leader of the biology field group from the Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, and part of the Zoological Health Program at the Wildlife Conservation Societys Bronx Zoo, collected environmental samples from 2 websites situated at elevations of 5,110 and 5,190 meters (16,765 and 17,027 feet) above water level, along Sagarmatha National Park on the Southern Flank of Mount Everest. The samples were drawn from places 6 km (3.7 miles) apart.
” It is phenomenal to discover proof of this remarkable and uncommon types at the top of the world,” said Dr. Seimon. “The nearly four-week journey was very gratifying not simply for our group however for the larger clinical community. The discovery of Pallass cat on Everest lights up the rich biodiversity of this remote high-alpine community and extends the recognized series of this species to eastern Nepal.”
The DNA analysis of scat samples collected from both websites confirmed two Pallass cats inhabit Mount Everest and overlap in territory with red fox. The researchers discovered evidence of pika and mountain weasel DNA in the samples, a crucial food source for Pallass cat. These findings also include a brand-new types to the list of recognized mammals in Sagarmatha National Park, a greatly gone to and secured World Heritage site.
” This is an unique discovery not only in terms of science however likewise conservation as this population of Pallass cat is lawfully secured under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora),” said National Geographic Explorer and co-author of the paper, Dr. Anton Seimon. “We hope that the verification of this brand-new charming species will raise awareness of and education about the diversity of types at this iconic World Heritage Site.”
The variety of travelers visiting Sagarmatha National Park and Mount Everest has actually been drastically increasing, from simply a couple of thousand in the 1970s to over fifty thousand in 2019. It is notable that Pallass cat went undiscovered in this park until 2019, and the new research study shows how conservation genetics and environmental sampling can be used as an effective technique to finding and studying elusive and cryptic types like Pallass cat.
Future research study combining camera trap surveys and the collection of additional scat samples would assist to much better define the Pallass cat population, variety, density, and their diet in Sagarmatha National Park.
” The groundbreaking 2019 Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition continues to be extremely valuable to much better understand the most iconic environment on our world,” stated Nicole Alexiev, Vice President of Science and Innovation Programs at National Geographic Society. “These outcomes are an ideal illustration of why this work is very important and a foundation of our partnership with Rolex to check out and study Earths important life assistance systems.”
Referral: “First report of Pallass cat in Sagarmatha National Park– Mount Everest Region, Nepal” by T. A. Seimon, M. Lim, B. Nightingale, S. Elvin, A. Elmore and A. Seimon, December 2022, Cat News.Abstract.
From April to May 2019, a worldwide, multidisciplinary group of researchers conducted the most detailed single scientific expedition to Mt. Everest in the Khumbu Region of Nepal as part of National Geographic and Rolexs Perpetual Planet Expeditions partnership. Staff member from 8 countries, including 17 Nepalese scientists conducted trailblazing research study in five locations of science that are crucial to understanding ecological changes and their effects: biology, glaciology, geology, mapping, and meteorology. For more information check out: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/topic/perpetual-planet
The DNA analysis of scat samples gathered from both sites validated 2 Pallass felines occupy Mount Everest and overlap in area with red fox. The scientists found proof of pika and mountain weasel DNA in the samples, a crucial food source for Pallass feline. From April to May 2019, an international, multidisciplinary team of scientists carried out the most thorough single clinical expedition to Mt. Everest in the Khumbu Region of Nepal as part of National Geographic and Rolexs Perpetual Planet Expeditions partnership.
The discovery of Pallass feline on Everest lights up the rich biodiversity of this remote high-alpine ecosystem and extends the known range of this types to eastern Nepal.”
