Manul Identifications / Идентификация манулов

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Let’s identify manuls here!
Who is that manul in Prospect Park zoo?

Давайте тут идентифицировать манулов!
Кто этот манул в зоопарке Проспект Парка?

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I think it’s Sarnai. Batu has slimer eyebrows.

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Спасибо! :sparkling_heart:

Who’s this?


It’s from the Novosibirsk Zoo calendar in 2023.
I like his or her gentle eyes :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Это Ачи (Achi) :smiley_cat:

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Oh, thanks! It’s handsome Achi :heart_eyes:

Talking about Achi, when Eve’s first children were born, they said the father was George(I read it in a few web articles), then I heard the guide staff of the zoo online tour said the father was Achi. Then, in this Manulization site, Eve’s profile page says her first children’s father is George. Is this the final answer? :grin:

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Хахах, да, это получилась непростая история :sweat_smile:
Тем не менее окончательный ответ таков: Жора (George) отец старших детей Евы 100%.

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I see. Thanks again!

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Here’s a new photo. It’s a screenshot from the Novosibirsk Zoo online tour in June, 2023. The guide staff said this is one of the sons of Mia.

I hope this is the one still alive :pray:

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Да, это сын Мии:

К сожалению, этим летом его не стало :disappointed:

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It’s so heartbreaking that even in the safety of a zoo so many kittens don’t make it. :cry: Do we know why that is? Is there some disease or something they’re particularly susceptible to?

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I see. Thank you.
Rest in peace, Mia’s son :pray: :rainbow:

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I guess the main reason is their weak immune system :cry:

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I see. It’s so sad though. :sob: Every kitten should get to grow up and live a long and happy manul life!

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I’ve read that they’re particularly vulnerable to toxoplasmosis. It’s a single-celled parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) that’s found in a lot of domestic and feral cats, in humans through contact with cats, and in prey like rodents and birds.

With non-wild cats it tends to be fairly benign (although kittens are in more danger), and it doesn’t have much effect on humans either. But wild cats, especially those from colder climates, don’t ordinarily encounter toxoplasmosis and their immune systems are less able to respond.

So when manuls are in zoos, they’re safe from threats that they’d usually see in their natural habitats, but they’re suddenly confronted with new dangers, like these parasites. That’s one of the reasons most zoos are careful to wear gloves when touching the manuls: they don’t want to pass on anything dangerous. But it’s impossible to protect them from everything, and if manul kittens do contract toxoplasmosis, the fatality rate is high.

It’s very sad, and even more reason to keep working with manuls and studying them. I think things are getting better!


In case anyone is interested in further reading…

  1. General overview of manuls and toxoplasmosis
  2. Most recent academic paper (free to read, and cites a 2020 clinical trial that reduced manul kitten mortality from toxoplasmosis from 100% to 5.8%!)
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Wow, that’s so interesting, thanks for letting me know. I’m a (human) physician so I’m passingly familiar with toxo but it’s usually only a concern in AIDS patients and pregnant women. To learn it’s so deadly for manuls is so surprising but I suppose it makes sense. The poor babies. :cry:

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Yes, it’s frightening that they’re so vulnerable. I’m very encouraged by that trial in Scotland that managed to reduce the mortality rate so much though, it bodes well for the future!

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This entirely passed me by, and I’m delighted that Novosibirsk Zoo have a calendar with a manul on it! Thank you so much for that photo!

Now’s the time for me to start looking at 2025 Calendars – I don’t suppose anyone knows if there are manuls on any zoo calendars for next year? It would be pretty much an instant purchase for me!

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Potter Park Zoo released 2025 calendar. Manul Pazi is on the cover :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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In Novosibirsk clindamycin is used to reduce kitten mortality and it helps.

I attached a file with a presentation about their experience with managing toxoplasmosis which was created in Novosibirsk zoo. It’s in Russia but all text is selectable.

f984cd71e8e5c6485cfffd44851065f4.pdf (1.2 MB)

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