Viktoriya Malyshko and Roman Paulov
December 4, 2024.

Kazakhstan, the Village of Zhanaarka. It was late in the unusually snowy and frosty winter of 2011.

The sun shone brightly, but the steppe remained firmly gripped by the cold, with a piercing wind carrying the loud sound of barking dogs.

Time to step outside and see what’s happening...

“What’s this? Oh, my! It’s a sabanshy—a wild Pallas’s cat!”

A young Pallas’s cat crouched in a corner, flattened against the ground like a motionless stone. His fur stood on end, and his wide emerald eyes wide open and full of terror.

Recognize him? That’s our fluffy hero!

“Shoo! Shoo! Go away!” the villagers shouted, driving off the furious dogs that had surrounded the wild steppe creature.

Winters in the steppe test every inhabitant’s endurance, and late winter is an especially harsh and exhausting time for wild animals: fat reserves are depleted, and food sources are scarce.

This particular winter was exceptionally snowy and cold, with severe frosts alternating with heavy snowfalls. By February, the snow had reached record depths!

Deep snow is deadly for manuls, making hunting nearly impossible. By late winter, everything on the surface is already eaten, and the manul cannot dig out prey like pikas from beneath the snow, where they remain hidden underground.

Desperately searching for food, a manul might wander wherever their paws can take them. A starving cat can cover dozens of kilometers, expending every ounce of strength.

And so, our hero, exhausted and emaciated, stumbled into the village.

Uncertain of what to do with their unexpected guest, the villagers called in wildlife rangers.To save the exhausted cat, they decided to take him to the Karaganda Zoo.

And so, our hero found himself in the zoo.

Staff members at the zoo recall that their new ward appeared to be about a year old. He was wild, unsociable, and sullen, making his care quite challenging. Initially, they fed him chicks, later offering various meats, but he sometimes refused food altogether.

Meanwhile, the Novosibirsk Zoo—renowned for its work in breeding and studying manuls—was searching for a male. The zoos agreed to exchange animals, and by the autumn of 2013, our nameless hero was on his way to Siberia.

He arrived in a transport crate labeled “Karaganda,” and that’s how he got his name in his new home. Later, he was given an official name: Tenge, chosen by one of the zoo keepers. However, the name never caught on, remaining only in official records.

In Novosibirsk, the young Karaganda met a beautiful Pallas’s cat named Markiza, who had come from Poland. In 2015, their first kittens were born, and the following year, they became parents again. Their offspring were sent to zoos worldwide. Their son, Klyon, moved to Japan, where he gave Karaganda grandchildren, and those grandchildren gave him great-grandchildren.

After Markiza passed away, Karaganda met Aisha. They became parents twice, in 2018 and 2020, giving the world more adorable minuls.

In 2021, Karaganda fell seriously ill, leaving permanent damage to his left eye. Because of this, we affectionately nicknamed him “Old Pirate.”

Today, Karaganda is believed to be about 14 years old. Despite his advanced age and past illnesses, he retains the wild spirit of the steppe. Our fluffy aqsaqal doesn’t shy away from zoo visitors, enjoys perching on the roof of his house, and even with his injured left paw, he patrols his territory daily. During mating season, he becomes unusually bold, vocal, and fiercely protective of his beloved and his turf.

Karagandushka, as he’s lovingly called, is adored by zoo visitors, manul enthusiasts worldwide, and zoo staff. Interestingly, he prefers the company of women and occasionally hisses at male zoologists.

In the wild, it’s almost impossible for a manul to live to such an age. Only through the dedicated care of his keepers has Karaganda reached this advanced age.

So, every time you see the magnificent elder Karaganda, remember that before you is a truly exceptional fluffy miracle!

Acknowledgments

We extend our gratitude to the staff of the Karaganda Zoo and its director, Gulnara Adambekova, for their kindness and valuable insights. Thanks also to the staff of the Novosibirsk Zoo for their care and stories about Karaganda. Special thanks to Anna Blagodaty for her unique photographs and to Anna Barashkova, head of the Manul Working Group, for her support and additional photographs.