Manul spotted in Armenia for the first time in 100 yearsDecember 23, 2020 - 16:51 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Pallas's cat, also known as the manul, is no longer extinct in Armenia, as the wild cat was spotted in the country for the first time in 100 years, the Ministry of Environment reports. The manul is a small wild cat native to the montane grasslands and shrublands in Central Asia and the Caucasus. The animal is included in Armenia's Red List of Threatened Species. The Pallas’s Cat Otocolobus manul is among the rarest mammals of the Caucasus, being recorded only in the 1920–1930s in south-western Armenia and once observed (skin) in 1996 in the neighboring areas of the Arax basin. For this reason, so far it was considered as regionally extinct in the Caucasus. The the animal was spotted in January 2020 in north-eastern Armenia about 140 km away from the nearest historical sites, a report on the record was unveiled on December 20. The report provides details of this record and associated habitats, and discuss all published information known so far on the historical occurrence of the species in the Caucasus. It shows that only five small areas are suitable for the existence of this species in Armenia. The western limits of Khosrov Forest State Reserve hold the largest tract of suitable habitats. Protected areas play a minor role in Pallas’s Cat conservation. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | European Parliament to discuss repression in Azerbaijan The European Parliament will discuss repression of civil society in Azerbaijan on April 24 PACE wants concessions from Azerbaijan to accept Baku back A PACE co-rapporteur said that Azerbaijani authorities must make certain concessions so that the country can return to PACE. Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. |