In Iran, like other Muslim countries, the payment from the groom to the bride (which is called “mahr”) is a mandatory condition for all valid Muslim marriages. One of the Iranian Cheetah Society’s volunteers has dedicated her mahr to build an artificial waterhole in one of the cheetah reserves.
Asiatic cheetahs live in arid and hyper arid areas in eastern-central Iran, where natural water sources are scarce. Competition between local livestock owners and wild ungulates over the remaining water sources urges careful management of waterholes. Thus, providing water for the desert wildlife is crucial to maintain both prey and cheetah populations. However, available resources alone are not enough to tackle this aim. Iranian Cheetah Society is running a program with support of individual donors to ensure water sources are secured and available for local wildlife in cheetah reserves. Read more about our program “Water for Cheetahs” here.