On June 30, Altai State University welcomed Yulia and Andrey Bublichenko, Candidates of Biological Sciences and employees of the Zoological Museum at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. These scientists are dedicated to the protection of the Pallas's cat, a species of wild cat. They participate in the federal charity program titled "Study and Preservation of the Pallas's Cat." The Altai State University Nature Museum attracted their interest due to its extensive collection, which includes over 1,200 vertebrate animal specimens. The museum tour was led by Sergey Snigirev, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, and Director of the Zoological Center at Altai State University.
As Sergey Snigirev explained, the Pallas's cat is a predatory mammal belonging to the cat family. In both appearance and size, it resembles a domestic cat but has shorter, more massive paws and body, round pupils, small ears, and thick fur. Furthermore, the population of Pallas's cats is declining, and the species is currently threatened with extinction. These wild cats inhabit vast regions of Asia as well as Southern Siberia. In Barnaul, live Pallas's cats can be seen at the city zoo, "Lesnaya Skazka."
Scientists Yulia and Andrey Bublichenko visited the Altai State University Nature Museum because it houses unique exhibits not only for Siberia but for all of Russia — including stuffed white Bengal tigers, endangered snow leopards (irbis), a rare collection of wolf and dog skulls, and Siberian roe deer specimens.
The guests were pleasantly impressed by the university museum’s exhibits. The zoologists shared that they have ambitious scientific plans for Altai Krai and the Altai Republic, emphasizing that studying the Pallas's cat is especially urgent now, as the species is on the verge of being listed in the Red Book.
Andrey Bublichenko noted that locating a Pallas's cat in the wild is a challenging task. Consequently, he and his colleagues are currently focusing on restoring the population in zoos as a preliminary step towards successful reintroduction — the deliberate release of wild animals into areas where they once lived but have since disappeared, with the aim of population recovery.
“We hope to establish close cooperation with scientists from Altai State University through the program ‘Study and Preservation of the Pallas’s Cat.’ This initiative is supported by the largest Eurasian Regional Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EARAZA), which comprises 94 organizations across 23 countries. Altai State University, with its unique Museum of Nature, can play a crucial role in addressing urgent zoological challenges.”