Asiatic Cheetah Conservation

Duration: March 2003- Still ongoing

Location: Touran Biosphere Reserve, Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, Behkadeh Reserve and Abbas Abad Wildlife Refuge, Dare-Anjir Wildlife Refuge

Implementing Agency: Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS)

Funding Agencies: Stichting Spots, Iranian Department of Environment, Burger Zoo, Colombus Zoo, Rufford Foundation, AfdPZ, IUCN NL, Ashia, Ahmad Tea

Background

As the last stronghold of the critically endangered Asiatic Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) in the world, Iran is home to less than 40 cheetahs roaming across desert mountainous areas of eastern half of the big country. It has been recognized to be ecologically different comparing to its African cousins, probably due to distinctive environmental situations. For example, it mainly preys on mountainous ungulates, such as wild sheep and wild goat rather using its high speed to catch fast gazelles. So, it is not strange to see the cheetahs away from the plains up in the mountains, like leopards. The present project has been carrying out within two only confirmed cheetah habitats in northeastern Iran, namely Miandasht Wildlife Refuge and Touran Biosphere Reserve. Based on camera trap results and direct observations, it is supposed that no more than 15 cheetahs live in two areas with the higher abundance in Touran. This program is one of the oldest conservation projects on the Asiatic cheetah in Iran which has helped significantly to increase our knowledge about the Asiatic cheetah in Iran.

Aim and Objectives

To enhance conservation of the Asiatic cheetah within the last habitats in northeastern Iran through the following objectives:

  • Monitoring Cheetah population status;
  • Recording Cheetah movements;
  • Mapping spatial distribution of the species;
  • Equipping and training rangers;
  • Enhancing habitat conservation;
  • Climate change consequence reduction,
  • Identification of specific threatening factors to the survival of the cheetah;
  • Training rangers for enhanced conservation measures;
  • Increasing awareness within local communities.

Asiatic Cheetah cub in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge - Iran

Asiatic Cheetah News

Are there only 12 Asiatic Cheetahs left in Iran?

Recently, news has been published by various media that there are only 12 Asiatic cheetahs left in Iran. This number, quoting the deputy director...
Asiatic Cheetah Cub

Second Asiatic Cheetah Family Recorded in Touran Biosphere Reserve (2021)

After recording a family of three, including a mother and two cubs, earlier this summer, cameras installed in Touran National Park (Part of Touran...
Asiatic Cheetah

Proof of Asiatic Cheetah presence in rangeland which ICS and IUCN...

The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), supported by IUCN Netherlands, succeeded in evacuating livestock in 5,600 hectares of rangeland on the edge of Touran National...
Asiatic Cheetah cub

A new Asiatic Cheetah family just discovered by our camera traps

Recently, camera traps recorded a family of three consisting of a mother and two cubs at several points in Turan National Park. The family...

The starting of nationwide population monitoring of the Asiatic Cheetah

The year 2021 is a significant year for monitoring the situation of the Asiatic Cheetah in Iran. Touran Biosphere Reserve is already known as...

Livestock removed from a 5,600+ hectares area to make it a...

Conservation is a complicated field that could differ with different situations and the target species. These complication gets higher when the local people and...
Asiatic Cheetah in Touran Biosphere Reserve

End of Annual “Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Program”

Miandasht Wildlife Refuge and Touran Biosphere Reserve were the only remaining reproductive Asiatic Cheetah habitats in Iran. Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, with 84 thousand hectares, was...

Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring of Miandasht Wildlife Refuge

The camera traps installed at the North Khorasan Province, Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, have been collected after four months of operating in September 2020. Our...

Creating a Livestock-Free Wildlife Refuge to Safeguard the Critically Endangered Asiatic...

The project "Securing Touran National Park for Asiatic Cheetahs" was officially funded by IUCN NL Land Acquisition Program in August 2014. The initial goal...
cheetah roadkill

New threat for the Asiatic Cheetah habitat +UPDATE

The Asiatic Cheetah is a species with continuous movement. According to ICS's data recorded throughout the 3 phases of the Population Monitoring Program, this...