Brunhilda, along with her two still-blind little sisters, was found by a local resident, Maria Zaitseva, on her property in a pile of straw on the outskirts of the village of Novy Zagan, in Buryatia.
The kittens were emaciated and so weak they didn’t even meow. The Zaitseva family initially thought they were a “gift” from a neighbor’s cat, Muska, but couldn’t leave them outside—they took them home. The orphaned little ones could barely walk and were very frail. Maria cared for them as if they were her own children, soothing them, rubbing their tummies, and feeding them baby formula from a bottle.
After a few days, the foster family began to notice that these kittens were unusual: they had distinctively low-set ears, dark round spots on their faces, and their sharp teeth and claws grew remarkably fast! Ten days later, the kittens opened their eyes, revealing bright blue irises with round pupils.
Zaitsev family realized they were caring for wild, endangered Pallas’s cat kittens, so they reported their “find” to journalists and the Buryat Natural Resources Department (Buryatprirodnadzor). Later, the Buryatprirodnadzor staff transferred the kittens to the Ulan-Ude Ethnographic Museum, where staff already had experience working with Pallas’s cats. However, this was their first time caring for such tiny manul kittens! Thanks to the museum staff’s tremendous efforts and consultations with experts from the Novosibirsk and Moscow Zoos, the girls grew stronger, gained weight, and made significant progress!
In Ulan-Ude Ethnographic Museum kittens were given beautiful names: Praskovya, Brunhilda, and Aglaya. The fluffy sisters were orphaned too early, not learning essential survival skills from their mother, so releasing them back into the wild wasn’t an option.
Following recommendations from Rosprirodnadzor, Brunhilda and Aglaya were sent to Moscow in the fall to the Center for the Reproduction of Rare Animal Species.
Unfortunately, Brunhilda is no longer with us.
One of the biggest problems of keeping Pallas's cats in captivity is the high mortality rate among Pallas's kittens. They are most vulnerable during their first year of life. In the first year of life mortality rate among Pallas's kittens in zoos varies from 50% to 70%. In the wild mortality rate varies from 70% to 90%. Unfortunately, Brunhilda didn't survive the first year of her life.
Siblings of Brunhilda the Pallas's cat
Twin sisters born in the spring of 2021 in Republic of Buryatia, Russia. Their parents are uncertain for us at the moment
Photos of Brunhilda the Pallas's cat
Brunhilda's travel adventures
On June 15, 2021 Brunhilda moved from Novyy Zagan, Russia to Ulan-Ude Ethnographic Museum.
In September of 2021 Brunhilda moved from Ulan-Ude Ethnographic Museum to Center for the reproduction of rare species of animals.
Other names of Brunhilda the Pallas's cat
In Republic of Buryatia, Russia she was given her name Brunhilda.
