Rare Cat Found Living On The Tallest Mountain In The World

A group of scientists on the ground recently made the astounding and adorably cute discovery that rare cats actually reside on Mount Everest.

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The manuls, or cats, of the Pallas family, were able to elude detection until 2019. Somewhere along the South Face of Mount Everest, there are at least two of them. For everyone else, the discovery is just ridiculously adorable, but for researchers and conservationists worldwide, it is incredibly valuable.

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With a few cute variations, Pallas's cats are roughly the same size as typical house cats. They resemble plump little stuffed animals because of their short legs and fluffy, thick fur. Because they are insulated from the cold by their fur, they are smaller and lighter than they appear. They can easily scale cliff faces and rocky crevices, so it makes sense that they would choose to live somewhere akin to Mount Everest. Even though these wild creatures are dangerous and shouldn't be kept as pets, just looking at their photos can make people very happy.

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They appear to be cartoon characters with their large ears and wide faces as they stroll around Mount Everest, going about their daily lives.

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In a piece for Wildlife Conservation Society, Dr. Tracie Seimon of the organization's Zoological Health Program said, "It is phenomenal to discover proof of this rare and remarkable species at the top of the world."

In the future, studies aimed at estimating the precise population of Pallas's cats on Mount Everest will contribute to their protection and ability to lead optimal lives.