The discovery of Palla’s cats at the top of Everest is an incredible find, according to Dr. Tracie Seimon from the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Zoological Health Program. The research team collected environmental samples, or feces, from two different spots on the mountain and used DNA testing to confirm the presence of the rare species. The samples were taken in 2019, and the findings were recently published in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Cat News” newsletter.
According to Seimon, the recent sighting of a Pallas’s cat on Mount Everest showcases the diverse wildlife present in this secluded high-altitude environment and also reveals a new habitat range for this species in eastern Nepal. Paige Byerly, a researcher focused on conservation biology and a fan of Pallas’s cats, expressed her happiness on Twitter by imagining the sight of a Pallas’s cat smirking at skilled climbers from behind a boulder.
