Pallas’s Cat has a wide but fragmented distribution in the grasslands and montane steppe of Central Asia. Even in optimal steppe habitat in Mongolia Pallas’s Cats occur at a very low density of two to six Pallas’s Cats/100 km2 (Ross in prep.). Their low density is believed to be a result of interspecific predation which restricts their use of habitats to those with good cover from predators, whilst maintaining access to prey. A consequence of habitat specialization is that a low percentage of the landscape is suitable for their needs, and their low density means that relatively large areas are required for conservation of viable populations (Ross et al. 2012). Pallas’s Cats are dependent on marmot burrows or other available cavities to provide dens for daily use and rearing young, which further restricts habitat availability (Ross et al. 2010a). Using the Pallas’s Cat studbook data (Barclay 2013) generation length has been estimated at 3.61 years. However, most populations now experience disturbances resulting in reduced lifespan and lower reproductive output (e.g. Ross 2009). Predation by sympatric carnivores, domestic dogs and human offtake are the main causes of mortality (Ross 2009). While recent records have resulted in small expansions of the species known range, increases in the number and extent of livestock, herders and herding dogs is resulting in increased habitat degradation, displacement and mortalities (Damdinsuren et al. 2008, Barashkova and Smelansky 2011, Ross et al. 2012). Mineral exploitation and infrastructure developments have also increased substantially in Central Asia increasing fragmentation throughout its core range (Selles 2013). Pallas’s Cat continues to be at serious risk from a declining prey base due to pika and rodent control programmes and secondary poisoning. A lack of range-wide data means there is little empirical bases on which to estimate population size and status of Pallas’s Cat. However, based on low detection rates, increases in habitat degradation and the species biological susceptibility to disturbance, populations are suspected to be fragmented and to have declined by 10–15% over the past 11 years (three generations). The species is listed as Near Threatened as it may qualify as Vulnerable under criterion C1 in the future when the population size drops below 10,000 mature individuals (it is currently about 15,000).
