Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Program

The Iranian Cheetah Society is proud to announce the release of a comprehensive report on the status of the Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) in Iran. This extensive study, conducted from 2021 to 2023, provides critical insights into the population dynamics, breeding patterns, and conservation challenges faced by this endangered species.

Key Highlights:

• Population Insights: The study documented the presence of six female cheetahs, four male cheetahs, and 17 cubs in the Touran Biosphere Reserve, highlighting the region’s importance as a breeding habitat¹.
• Conservation Challenges: The report underscores the urgent need for enhanced conservation efforts, including the installation of satellite collars and genetic studies, to ensure the survival of the Asiatic Cheetah.
• Research Findings: Over 797 images of cheetahs were captured, providing valuable data on their movement patterns and habitat use.

We invite all wildlife enthusiasts, researchers, and conservationists to download and read the full report to better understand the current status and future prospects of the Asiatic Cheetah in Iran.

Download the full report here.

Khorshid (The Sun), has managed to successfully raise all four of her cubs until early November. She is a record holder for successful motherhood among cheetahs in Iran, having given birth to three healthy litters. Khorshid is one of the main hopes for the continuation of cheetah reproduction in the heart of Turan. Unfortunately, we have no evidence of  “Harb” reproducing this year, although it is her turn to do so.

The safety of Khorshid’s habitat is the primary reason for her success, and we owe this to the sacrifices made by the park’s Rangers.

Two weeks ago, a ranger at Touran National Park, spotted a family of five cheetahs. Although the footage quality was not sufficient to identify the mother, we believed this was the Khorshid family. Khorshid (AKA Talkhab) is a female cheetah who was born in 2016 and has had three successful births so far. She was only recorded once by cameras last winter.

An Asiatic Cheetah was spotted in the unprotected zone between Turan Biosphere Reserve and Miandasht Wildlife Refuge. The cheetah was in poor condition, panting, and had a bloody mouth. A leech was attached to the underside of its tongue. The young male cheetah, named “Tara” by the Department of Environment of Semnan in 2019, had not been seen for a long time until about 3 weeks before his death when his images were recorded after several years in our camera trap area in Touran. After the death of the cheetah and the protest of the ICS to the DoE based on suspicion about the causes of death, the DoE promised to hold a meeting to review the issue with us and independent veterinarians. The death of a young male cheetah is a serious blow to the fragile population of cheetahs in Iran. Here are all of the incidents that we heard of. Any of them may be confirmed or rejected by DoE:

• According to local reports, the cheetah had stayed in the same area for several days and could not leave. Even when the rangers arrived (Sunday morning, August 5), he remained under the trees and seemed too weak to flee.
• The images (which the Iranian Cheetah Society has and will publish with the Department of Environment’s permission) show his weakness, panting, mouth bleeding, and leech infestation.
• A veterinarian from Semnan Department came to examine him on Sunday night. On Monday morning, he was anesthetized and taken to Abbasabad station.
• His mouth and throat were full of leeches. He received serum at the anesthesia site to treat his severe anemia.
• He was moved from Abbasabad road to Miyami, towards the Cheetah Breeding Center in north Turan National Park before noon.
• No precise information is available about his transfer box and condition during the move.
• After reaching Delbar Station, he died of severe anemia and his body was sent to the Department of Environment for autopsy and investigation.
• The autopsy report and transfer operation are not yet accessible to independent reviewers.

ICS will keep following up until the issue is clear because this loss to the wild population, especially with the known decline in males, can be irreversible. Stay tuned for more news.

In May of this year, camera traps were able to record the first cheetah breeding of 2023 in the Touran National Park. This image shows Khorshid (Talkhab) with her four small cubs drinking water at a watering hole. This female cheetah was only recorded once by cameras last winter. She was born in 2016 and has had three successful births so far, all three generations of which have been recorded by cameras. This is the first time in Iran that we have witnessed three births of a female cheetah. Before that, Mana, a female cheetah from Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, had been seen twice with her cubs.

Continuous monitoring in each habitat leads to valuable results such as information on the minimum number of births that have occurred. In the case of Khorshid, we know that she gave birth to three cubs in 2019, two cubs in 2021, and four cubs this year. We also know that one of her cubs from 2019, named Telma, gave birth to four cubs in 2022.

Effective conservation of the habitat by rangers has increased security and a good abundance of prey, as a result of which we can see such images. The vast habitats of cheetahs in Iran have many difficulties and problems that can only be preserved or increased by allocating several times more resources and equipment; otherwise, the few remaining Asiatic cheetahs will be defeated by threats.

See Also:

IUCN NL: Protecting the Asiatic cheetah in Iran

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Effective wildlife conservation involves collaboration among various stakeholders, including park managers, rangers, researchers, etc. To achieve this goal, it is essential to share information uniformly among these different groups. The Iranian Cheetah Society has taken an important step in this direction by sharing data obtained during 2021 in Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Program with Touran Biosphere Reserve rangers. On Monday, May 15, 2022, rangers from the protected areas of the Turan Biosphere Reserve were informed of the results of studies in which they played a role in the study. Additionally, planning for the new year was done in consultation with them.

The Touran Biosphere Reserve is located in the Anatolian Iran deserts and comprises a variety of salt, gypsum, stone, and sandy habitats. It covers both clay lowlands and mountains and reaches altitudes of more than 2,200 m above sea level. Communities in the area depend mostly on agriculture and animal husbandry.

The Touran Biosphere Reserve is the second-largest complex of protected areas in Iran, covering an area of around 1,459,506.2 hectares. The reserve is home to a variety of wildlife species, including the Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubutus venaticus), Persian Onager (Equus hemionus onager), and the sand cat (Felis Margarita thinobia). Due to its rich biodiversity and unique ecosystems, the Touran Biosphere Reserve is an important site for conservation efforts.