SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A new face is now at Utah’s Hogle Zoo — Kaarina, a two-year-old Pallas’ cat.
Kaarina comes from the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, transferring on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan.
Kaarina’s family has a lasting history at the Hogle Zoo, as she is the great-granddaughter of the Hogle Zoo’s former Pallas’ cat breeding pair, Petenka and Hal. Her grandmother Ting had been born at the Hogle Zoo in 2017 before moving to another facility, where she had her daughter Tiina, who had Karrina in the Columbus Zoo in 2023.
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Utah’s Hogle Zoo said that Kaarina will have valuable breeding opportunities to continue her family’s Utah legacy.
According to the zoo, Pallas’ cats can be found in central and western Asia’s montane grasslands and rocky steps. These cats have thick, heavy coats adapted for cold climates where temperatures can reach below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pallas’ cats have small, round ears set low on their heads to help them stay hidden in grasses as they prowl. This helps minimize heat loss and keep them warm.
The zoo said that Pallas’ cats are more active in late summer and early fall. Once winter comes, they prefer to lay low and are less active during the day, often seeking the comfort of a cozy bed — which is a spot you may find Kaarina in at her new habitat.
The zoo said that although Pallas’ cats are classified as lower risk on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, they still face significant threats. Their populations are small and fragmented and declining due to habitat loss due to livestock encroachment, agriculture, infrastructure development, and mining. Other threats, the zoo said, are prey loss, poisoning, and climate change.
Because Pallas’ cats depend on prey such as pikas and small rodents and shelters like marmot burrows, they are more vulnerable to environmental changes and human activity.
Find Kaarina at the zoo’s Asian Highlands.