5 facts about Timofey, the Moscow Zoo’s famous manul (PHOTOS)

1. Hails from Novosibirsk

Timofey was born on June 11, 2020, in the Novosibirsk Zoo to a large family. His mother is considered one of the shyest representatives of these wild cats. Perhaps, he inherited his caution and independent nature from her. Timofey loves to hide in his house or observe visitors from above, unnoticed.

2. Enriched the Russian language with the word ‘zazhirovka’ (literally, ‘fatten up’)

Zoo staff call the process of an animal actively accumulating a fat layer before winter ‘zazhirovka’. It’s a natural process for the Pallas's cat. In 2025, this word became so popular that experts from ‘Gramota.ru’ included it in their meta-dictionary, recording its meaning and origin.

3. An eligible bachelor

Timofey currently lives alone. Pallas's cats have complex and fiercely independent personalities, so it's important for potential partners to genuinely be attracted to each other.
"We are searching, looking for a bride for him," said Svetlana Akulova, the zoo's general director in November 2025. "Our specialists travel to breeding centers and nature reserves, studying and monitoring. We hope we can bring him a rare-blooded female, so that they can have wonderful, healthy kittens!"
For now, Timofey is enjoying his status as an enviable bachelor with an accommodation in the very center of Moscow.

4. A media personality

Users across the country now follow Timofey's life on social media. According to data from the ‘Yandex Zen’ platform, in August 2025, Timofey became the most discussed animal in the Russian media. He’s been written about even more often than the famous cat of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld!

5. A symbol of the Moscow Zoo

Timofey isn’t just a crowd favorite; he embodies the very spirit of the Moscow Zoo. And that’s literally true: the Pallas's cat is depicted on its coat of arms, as it was in Moscow that Soviet scientists made a significant contribution to the study and conservation of these wild cats.