Manul

The manul, or Pallas' cat, is one of the smallest wild cats.Three were born at the Columbus Zoo in 2022, and I found the two sisters playing February 23.

This is part of their habitat. I didn't know what they were looking at.

Some sisterly grooming...

... followed by hunting-bite practice.

There was a lot of practicing that day.

To me, the one on the left looks like part of a painting in which the artist blended the cat with the background.

At last

I've hoped to get a decent shot of the Columbus Zoo's Pallas' cat since 2018 and Mexican beaded lizard since 2019. They're often hidden or barely visible.

This is typical of my handful of photos of Pallas' cat in its dimly-lit enclosure. July 16, 2019

 

May 17, 2021. Right after I took the picture, the cat ran to a nearly-hidden door in a dim corner.

At first, the lizard was bathed in red light. April 8, 2019

Then I got a shot from behind. December 28, 2020

Finally, I saw its face in normal light. May 17, 2021.

If you click to see a large version of this picture and toggle between it and the previous one, you'll see the lizard stick out its tongue. I am at the tail end of middle aged, and this "flipbook" kind of thing has always and will always amuse me. So there.

I don't have a particular interest in this cat or lizard. I just want at least one good image of every animal I come across.