In a Facebook post Saturday, Woodland Park Zoo announced that Goose, a manul cat, had become the newest member of the zoo family.
According to the zoo’s blog, Goose is two years old and will be living in the outdoor portion of the zoo’s Reptile Realm.
More commonly known as the Pallas’s cat, the manul is the Mongolian name for the cat, according to the zoo. Woodland Park Zoo received its first manul, two females, in 1992 as a gift from Chongqing Zoo as part of the Seattle-Chongqing Sister City Association. The last manul at Woodland Park Zoo passed away in 2005 from age-related causes.
“People may be curious about his peculiar name, Goose, for a cat. He was named Goose at his former home to rhyme with his dad’s and brother’s names: Moose and Roos-ter,” Christine Verador, Animal Care Manager of Carnivores at Woodland Park Zoo, said. “Manul are naturally solitary and secretive, and Goose is no exception. If you don’t see this funny face immediately, be very patient—he’s still settling into his new home and manul are adept at hiding. Explore other areas of the zoo and come back; you’re bound to see him at some point, and it will be worth it!”