+7 (777) 001 44 99
Қазақша
Русский
English
Tengrinews.kz – A video showing a driver encountering an animal lying directly on a road in the steppe near Aktau has appeared online, according to Lada.kz.
Many users suggested it was a rare wild cat and began speculating in the comments. The situation was clarified by Adilbek Kozybakov, chairman of the regional environmental council of the ECOJER association.
In the video circulating on social media, a man is driving along a steppe road when he notices a wild cat. The animal is calmly lying on the road, not reacting to the headlights. The driver flashes his lights several times, after which the cat suddenly jumps up and runs away.
It was later determined that the footage was recorded on November 9 near the village of Saiotes. According to Kozybakov, the animal in the video is a steppe cat, which is not listed in the Red Book. The ecologist explained that such behavior is a normal reaction of wild animals to bright light.
“When headlights shine on them, animals may freeze in place. This is natural. Most likely, the cat was hunting rodents — gerbils, jerboas, or mice,” the ecologist explained.
He also emphasized that approaching a wild animal is strictly prohibited, as it may carry rabies.
“It’s better not to touch or feed them. There was a recent case in Beyneu where a woman died from rabies after being scratched by a wild cat,” he added.
