Meet Phil, a new Pallas’ cat at Utah’s Hogle Zoo

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A few months after Utahns were introduced to Kaarina, another Pallas’ cat has joined Utah’s Hogle Zoo. The zoo now has three of these unique cats in their facilities.

Phyllaris — or Phil for short — is a 5-year-old Pallas’ cat from Birmingham Zoo in Alabama. He is the grandson of Petenka and Hal, a breeding pair that formerly lived at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. Kaarina is a great-granddaughter of this same breeding pair, making her and Phil second cousins.

Phil, the newest addition to the family, will be out in the spotlight. Guests can find him adjusting to his new home in the Asian Highlands area of the Hogle Zoo. He has an indoor space, so he may not always be visible as he adjusts to the new environment.

Kaarina and the zoo’s other Pallas’ cat, 7-year-old Khir, live behind the scenes. Guests don’t see Khir or Kaarina due to their breeding recommendations from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Pallas’ cat Species Survival Plan. While the species is at a lower risk, there are still threats to the population.

Utah’s Hogle Zoo says that Pallas’ cats “populations are small, fragmented, and declining due to habitat loss from livestock encroachment, agriculture, infrastructure development, and mining.”

Guests can look forward to learning more about the unique cat from Central and Western Asia. According to Utah’s Hogle Zoo, they inhabit mountain grasslands and rocky steppes in the area. Pallas’ cats have specially evolved to hide among tall grasses, with dense fur coats to protect them from cold conditions.