On August 29th 2016, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) held a press conference explaining its plans for the 10th anniversary of the National Cheetah Day. During this conference CEO of ICS, Morteza Eslami, stressed that ICS intensive field works since 2012 suggest that the current status of the Iranian cheetah population is a source of major concern. He explained that during 2012 ICS surveys, 20 cheetah individuals were photographed inside the cheetah reserves, of which 7 were females. In 2013-14 surveys, 23 Asiatic cheetahs were identified through extensive camera-trapping efforts, but only 4 were females. Eslami added that 2016 surveys have been able to document as few as only 2 female cheetahs, given the fact that two out of 4 females we identified in 2013-14 surveys died in vehicle collisions in 2015-16. Eslami noted that the available data is insufficient to judge if the cheetah population trend is declining. “However, there is strong evidence that if we do not act now, there would be no hope for the survival of the Iranian cheetahs by 2020”, Eslami added.
Furthermore, Eslami explained that currently 2 female cheetahs have been photo-captured in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, and other partners have been able to confirm the presence of at least one female cheetah in Touran Biosphere Reserve. No female cheetahs have been recorded in the southern cheetah nuclei in the south and south-central Iran since 2012. Eslami stressed that the Iranian cheetah population appears to be very small population, perhaps about 40 individuals, so increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic events. ICS believes that still there is hope for saving the Iranian cheetah population. Yet, conservation efforts must be doubled, national and international partners must work together and focus their efforts to minimize cheetah mortalities and isolation of the remaining populations, and roads trespassing or surrounding critical cheetah habitats must be secured for cheetah movements to guarantee cheetah population connectivity.
Preliminary results from the Nation-wide Cheetah Monitoring Program: The cheetah coalition is still roaming in Yazd province
New data obtained during the third phase of nation-wide cheetah monitoring program confirm the persistence of a male cheetah coalition we previously identified in 2012 in Darreh Anjir Wildlife Refuge, Yazd province.
Within this phase of our intensive field surveys in the south-central and central Iran, during late May-July our team employed 50 remotely-triggered camera traps across key cheetah sites in Yazd province, including Darreh Anjir Wildlife Refuge, Bahabad No-Hunting Area, and two sites outside the current network of protected areas. Our goal is to monitor the status of cheetah individuals we have identified since 2012 surveys, and to investigate if any female cheetahs remain across the cheetah range in Yazd province.
After more than 2 months of camera-trapping surveys, about 270000 photos have been obtained. Preliminary analysis of the cheetah photos confirms the persistence of 4 male cheetahs known to us since 2012, including a male coalition of three cheetahs we named as “Ardalan”, “Arsalan”, and “Ardavan”, and “Hominu” a lone male cheetah. Unfortunately, neither any female cheetahs nor any sign of reproduction has been obtained in our camera-trapping effort.
The Iranian Cheetah Society is now extending the monitoring program into Naybandan Wildlife Refuge, South Khorasan province, and will then continue with surveying Miandasht Wildlife Refuge in north-eastern Iran. Our works is done in collaboration with provincial offices of Iran Department of Environment and Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP).
After the successful experience of the cheetah infographic poster, the “Persian Leopard” infographic poster was developed and released in 3000 numbers in collaboration with the Infogram Institute and the Department of Environment of Alborz province,
Persian leopard infographic poster was unveiled through a ceremony in presence of Alborz DoE deputies and authorities of Alborz Province. These posters will be distributed in local villages and rural areas which are located in the leopard habitat, in order to raise awareness about this species.
Grey wolf photographed for the first time in the cheetah reserve
During the third year of country-scale monitoring of the Critically Endangered Asiatic cheetah in Iran, our research team was surprised by finding the first confirmed evidence of wolf presence in Darreh Anjir Wildlife Refuge, Yazd province.
Located in south-central Iran, Darreh Anjir Wildlife Refuge appears crucial the connectivity of cheetah populations in Iran. The reserve has been continuously surveyed by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) and its partners for about 6 years, but until now no information was available about the co-occurrence of grey wolves in the area. Interestingly, our trail cameras have also captured footages of the striped hyena in the reserve after a 6-year gap.
ICS is running the third round of nation-wide camera trap monitoring of the Asiatic cheetah in collaboration with Provincial Offices of Iran Department of Environment and Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project. The project aims to reveal detailed information about the population and breeding status, as well as movement ecology of the rare and elusive Asiatic cheetah in its last stronghold in Iran.
ICS Educational program and tools group went to Farhang school on Wednesday , the 25th of May 2016 , to run a workshop on “Afghanistan and Iran’s wildlife” for age groups of 7 to 16 . In this two hour educational program students got acquainted with different species of Afghanistan and Iran, their biological needs , and the threats towards some of them; through some group activities, games, conversations, and movie discussions . ICS Educational tools and program group hopes to hold more similar programs in other foreigner schools in Iran.
Made in Iran: A new camera trap for cheetah monitoring
A brand new camera trap made by an Iranian student successfully captured several photos of free-ranging Asiatic cheetahs in central Iran. Developed by Ehsan Soleimani, the new camera features a 20-megapixel sensor and a solar panel recharging kit, yet weights less than 700 grams and can support a 128 GB memory card.
Together with ICS researchers, Ehsan deployed his camera in Darre Anjir Wildlife Refuge, Yazd province, during a series of evaluation tests. After about 1.5 month, this camera successfully captured several photos of two cheetah brothers known to us as “Ardalan” and “Arsalan”. Ehsan hopes that his cameras soon will be available for intensive camera trapping surveys of cheetahs in Iran, where purchasing trail cameras from the market is currently extremely challenging because of the country’s isolation during the past decade.
ICS’ Fall-Winter 2015/16 English newsletter released
The 3rd issue of ICS Letter, the English newsletter of the Iranian Cheetah Society, just released. Our top story features identification the cheetah died in NE Iran, which highlights the important of preserving cheetah’s biological corridors. Also highlighted are: Pallas’s cat photographed in NE Iran, socio-economic consequences of cattle predation by the Persian leopard, the cheetah family photographed again in NE Iran, a good season for leopard photography, another cheetah re-photographed after more than 4 years, leveraging trans-boundary partnerships for conservation of leopards in the Caucasus, etc.
Download the online version of this issue of ICS Letter here.
ICS attended Iran International Environment Exhibition
The 15th Iran International Environment Exhibition was held on during 29 February-3 March 2016 in the Iranian capital Tehran. The event hosted several Iranian and international companies active in the field of environmental conservation and engineering, together with provincial offices of Iran Department of Environment, universities, and NGOs.
ICS attended this event as previous years, introducing some of its conservation-oriented activities and campaigns focusing on the endangered Iranian carnivores. Presenting the results of the first and second nation-wide cheetah monitoring program to the public was also one of the ICS’ key moments during this event. Within the last day, a mini-conference discussing different aspects of the Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran was also a much-attended event during the exhibition.
Shepherd dogs threatens Asiatic Cheetah cubs in Miandasht
Miandasht Wildlife Refuge is one of the key cheetah reserves in northeastern Iran. Monitoring of the reserves using camera-traps by ICS has revealed at least 7 cheetah individuals in this reserve, which is one of the largest known populations of the Critically Endangered Asiatic cheetah. ICS’ camera-traps have also documented the presence of at least two different cheetah families with 4 dependant cubs.
Every year during the autumn and winter seasons, a number of traditional pastoralists are permitted to graze their herd in a portion of Miandasht. These pastoralists use more than 35 shepherd dogs for their herds. Shepherd dogs are serious threats for cheetah cubs, as they can easily chase cheetah families and kill the cubs, as previously documented in different locations in Iran.
During the winter 2016, ICS biologists in collaboration with the local wildlife authority and local rangers in Miandasht, run a rapid awareness effort for about 90% of herders entered the reserve. With this effort, ICS biologists discussed with herders different aspects of livestock herding and potential threats to cheetahs in Miandasht, stressing on managing shepherd dogs in order to minimize the risk of encountering with cheetahs. Also, some gifts were presented to the herders with signs and photos of cheetahs, as a reminder for the fact that local herders can play an important role in conservation efforts for cheetahs in Iran.
ٰOn February 23th 2016, the 25th WildTalk Seminar was held with guest speakers from the ICS-supported Persian Leopard Project in Northeastern Iran. Running in collaboration with University of Oxford’s WildCRU, Iran Department of Environment, and Panthera, the project senior researchers discussed 10 lessons learnt from the past 3-year of this project.
Using a combination of the cutting-edge GPS-satellite telemetry, remote camera-trapping, genetic sampling, field surveys, and questionnaire surveys with local people in three different leopard reserves in northeastern Iran, the project team presented for the first time the preliminary results about: (1) spatial distribution of leopards and c-predators on this landscape using occupancy modeling; (2) density estimation of leopards in two key reserves using remotely-triggered camera traps; (3) training a team of Iranian biologist for all procedures of trapping and handling leopards for fitting GPS collars; (4) movement ecology and spatial distribution of leopards using GPS-satellite collars; (5) fine-scale feeding ecology of Persian leopards; (6) Transboundary dispersal of leopards between Iran and Turkmenistan; (7) Intraspecific competition between and killing of Persian leopards; (8) facilitating co-existence between local people and leopards; (9) creating a specialist a rescue team for leopards; and (10) awareness campaign and environmental education focusing on the Endangered Persian leopards.