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cheetah day

Presentation of Asiatic Cheetah history in Jajarm
cheetah day

A Call for Joint Efforts to Save the Iranian Cheetah in Northeast of Iran

by pourmir August 23, 2023
written by pourmir 1 minutes read

The Asiatic Cheetah is one of the rarest and most beautiful cats in the world, living in two areas of the Miandasht Wildlife Refuge and Turan Biosphere Reserve. Unfortunately, the Asiatic Cheetah is severely endangered and its population has decreased significantly. To preserve and revive this unique species, joint efforts are needed by the government, researchers, rangers, farmers, etc.

For this purpose, the second National Iranian Cheetah Day conference was held on August 29th of this year in Jajarm County. In this conference, which was attended by environmental activists, provincial and county officials, Iranian Cheetah Society experts, and those interested in protecting endangered species, the latest status of the Iranian cheetah, its protection and reproduction strategies, public awareness and education on the importance of protecting endangered species, the role of civil society organizations in promoting environmental protection culture and especially endangered species were discussed.

The Iranian Cheetah Society also presented a summary of the conditions of Iranian cheetahs and hopes and threats to their return to Miandasht in the near future in this program for audiences. The conference was also an opportunity for communication and collaboration between environmental activists, officials, and people interested in protecting endangered species.

It is hoped that with the continuation of this trend, we will witness the return of cheetahs to the Miandasht Wildlife Refuge.

Iranian Cheetah Confrence

Photo by: Mehran Sharifi

August 23, 2023 0 comments
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cheetah day

A tribute to the National Cheetah Day

by pourmir October 13, 2018
written by pourmir 1 minutes read

Asiatic cheetahs are globally “Critically Endangered” according to the IUCN Red List. Iran is home to the last population of the Asiatic cheetah in the world. With a presumed population of 50 cheetah individuals at best, challenges associated with the current status of the Asiatic cheetah population include incidental killing of cheetahs by people or livestock guarding dogs, habitat fragmentation and loss of biological corridors and prey base depletion. Twelve years ago, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) proposed August 31st as the “National Cheetah Day” in Iran to encourage conservation of the last remaining population of Asiatic cheetahs. The National Cheetah Day is now endorsed and celebrated by Iran Department of the Environment, Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project and several Iranian NGOs every year. In honor of the Cheetah National Day, ICS releases “Save Our Cheetah” – a short video by Majid Sarhaddi, an Iranian filmmaker and friend of ICS.

This year ICS scientists joined a campaign to raise awareness of the critical status of the Asiatic cheetah in the Iranian public media. In a series of articles published in Etemaad, a leading Farsi-language daily newspaper, ICS scientists discuss the challenges and potential solutions to recover the Asiatic cheetah population. Recently, Iran Department of the Environment declared that, together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), it is working on the draft of the third phase of the Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project considering the measures proposed by national and international collaborators.

October 13, 2018 0 comments
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Asiatic Cheetah Conservation ProgramAsiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Programcheetah dayResearch

The Unknown Fate of the Asiatic Cheetah

by pourmir September 13, 2016
written by pourmir 6 minutes read

Conservation efforts must take a landscape level approach

As a Critically-Endangered subspecies of cheetahs that only persist in Iran, the Asiatic cheetah (also known as the Iranian cheetah) is very popular today. Asiatic cheetahs are considered as a national symbol for Iranians, the only nation that is proud being able to save these charismatic cats from extinction in Asia. However, the Iranian cheetah population seems to be in serious trouble, and new evidence suggests that in spite of ongoing conservation efforts, this population has been declining during the past years.
The year 2001 was a milestone in cheetah conservation in Iran. The Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP), an initiative between Iran’s Department of Environment, UNDP and a number of international partners, as well as the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) were formed with the goal to reverse the Iranian cheetah extinction. When we at ICS started our very first conservation-based efforts, very little was known about cheetahs in Iran. Throughout the past decade, new information started slowly flowing. New cheetah habitats and conservation plans began. The number of game wardens in cheetah habitats has been almost doubled. Remotely-triggered camera traps were imported to Iran for the first time and intensively employed for detection, and after several years of monitoring, of local cheetah populations. Different attempts have been carried out to assess the status of cheetahs in Iran. Several community-based projects have been conducted in villages and human settlements inside or in periphery of critical cheetah habitats. Either big or small, several national and local partners have joined the efforts to help conserving cheetahs in Iran. Additionally, 31st of August has been named as “National Cheetah Day” in the country to celebrate the persistence of Iranian cheetahs, and to stress the need to continue conservation efforts. By adding the Asiatic cheetah on the jersey of Iranian national soccer team, a new awareness campaign went throughout the country, and now there is a strong desire among Iranians to conserve their Critically Endangered cheetahs.
Without the conservation activities launched in the last 15 years the Asiatic cheetah would probably go extinct today. Nevertheless, we at ICS believe that much more is needed to be done to secure the cheetah survival in Iran. This year we celebrated the 10th anniversary National Cheetah Day in Iran, but we are sad to confirm that the Asiatic cheetah status is worrisome.
Since 2011 with the cooperation of CACP and provincial offices of Iran Department of Environment, we launched the Nation-wide Cheetah Monitoring Program in Iran. By this large-scale initiative we aimed to assess the status of cheetahs in Iran, and to provide for the first time scientifically-sound estimates of the population size and trend in their last stronghold. Using intensive camera trapping surveys across multiple cheetah habitats, we identify cheetah individuals, and by repeating the survey each year, we hope to monitor the population status and trend. The first phase of this project was done in 2011-2013. The second phase was carried out in 2014-2015, and presently we are busy with the third phase, which is expected to run until mid-2017.
During the first phase, we identified 20 different cheetahs including 11 males, 7 females, and 2 cheetahs of unknown sex. Based on the size of the area cheetahs living in Iran, almost one-third of the country or approximately equal to the size of France, the monitoring of Asiatic cheetahs is extremely challenging. Given our data, we guesstimated that between 40-70 cheetahs may live across their entire range in Iran. Since then, we have attempted to monitor all the identified individuals, some of them are still photo-captured by our camera traps inside the cheetah reserve. We confirm that preliminary results from the third phase, in combination with the data collected during the second phase and one study in Kavir National Park, are a source of major concern. Since 2013, neither cheetah reproduction nor any female cheetahs have been recorded in cheetah habitats in south-central Iran. During the past three years, we have been able to document the presence of only 4 male cheetahs in the cheetah reserves in Yazd province. We are truly concerned as Yazd province was used to be a hotspot for cheetahs in Iran, and several reproducing cheetahs were known to persist inside this province.

cheetah

 
Given the available data, it is very likely that viable cheetah populations are now limited to only four area: Miandasht Wildlife Refuge in North Khorasan province, Touran Biosphere Reserve in Semnan province, Naybandan Wildlife Refuge in South Khorasan province, and, possibly, Darband-e Ravar Wildlife Refuge in Kerman province. We accept that providing reliable estimates of cheetah population size, effective population size, and reproducing females are currently impossible. Also, for a better picture of the current status we have to wait until surveys are finished. However, so far only two female cheetahs are captured using our camera traps. We stress that it does not mean that only 2 females persist in Iran. We also guesstimate that currently the size of the Iranian cheetah population may not exceed 40 individuals. Given the extremely small size of the Iranian cheetah population, and the fact that these number are also divided into smaller local population divided into habitats some of them are hundreds of kilometers apart, loss of even one cheetah would have a catastrophic effect on the survival of the last remaining Asiatic cheetahs.
 

cheetah-map

Fig. 2. Distribution of the Asiatic cheetah in Iran. Confirmed cheetah areas based on hard evidences, such as photos, videos, and dead specimens during 15 years ago. 1) Miandash, 2) Khosh Yeilagh, 3) Touran, 4) Dorouneh, 5) Kavir, 6) Boshrouyeh, 7) Abbas Abad, 8) Siahkouh, 9) Naybandan, 10) Dareh Anjir, 11) Ariz, 12) Bahabad, 13) Darband, 14) Bafgh, 15) Kalmand. During the past 15 years, there have been only two confirmed cheetah occurrences in Khosh yeylaq (No. 2), and only one confirmed occurrence in Dorouneh (No. 4) and Boshrouyeh (No. 6).

 
Since 2001, we are aware of at least 48 cheetah mortalities in different incidents in Iran, including 34 confirmed evidences containing hard documents. Out of these incidents, only 7 cheetahs are likely to have died because of natural causes. At least 21 cheetahs have been killed by shepherds, as well as 15 cheetahs have been killed in vehicle collisions. There is also evidence of at least 5 cheetahs being killed by poachers.
We have recently shown that Asiatic cheetahs disperse greatly across multiple reserves. This nomadic lifestyle is extremely important for the persistence of Iranian cheetah population, as these immigrations might reverse local extinction for such small wildlife subpopulations. On the other hand, continuous cheetah movements and their unpredictable movement patterns make their conservation extremely difficult. Many human areas, roads and railways exist between cheetah habitats, some of them trespassing the cheetah reserves, which might lead to the loss of more cheetahs. Therefore much more extensive efforts must be made at the same time to protect the remaining cheetahs. We are still hopeful in conservation of Asiatic Cheetahs, but we believe that all national and international partners must play a bigger, and more active, role to safeguard cheetahs in Iran.
We have launched an online petition to ask President Hassan Rouhani to order immediate implementation of several protective measures, most importantly by pushing governmental bodies to cooperate with the Department of Environment. So far more than 5000 Iranians has signed the petition, and hope that this petition will provide a much needed political will and support for conservation of the Asiatic cheetah in Iran.
 

September 13, 2016 0 comments
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Asiatic Cheetah Conservation Programcheetah dayResearch

Urgent action is needed to save the Iranian cheetah population from extinction

by pourmir August 29, 2016
written by pourmir 2 minutes read

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.

August 29, 2016 0 comments
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cheetah day

The Crossfit Battle for conservation of cheetahs

by مدیر سایت September 2, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 0 minutes read

In collaboration with Enghelab Sport Complex for Women, Iranian Cheetah Society run a crossfit game during the Cheetah National Day ceremony. The event focused on raising awareness on the status and conservation needs of the Asiatic cheetah in Iran.

September 2, 2015 0 comments
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cheetah dayFestivals & Conferences

Another successful year for the Cheetah Day

by مدیر سایت August 31, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 1 minutes read

The ninth annual ceremony of the Cheetah National Day was successfully held in Tehran, as well as in several populated areas in periphery of the cheetah reserves across 13 Iranian provinces. The event included numerous educational and awareness activities for both adult and children focusing on the gloomy status of cheetahs in Iran, the last stronghold of the subspecies in Asia. The ceremony’s main slogan was #70survivors, referring to the total number of cheetah believed to exist in Iran.
The Cheetah National Day launches every year by the Iranian Cheetah Society, and Darkouba Game Company, Plan for the Land Society, Pars Herpetological Institute, ID & Aborz, The Environment Society of Rajaei University, Tehran Zoo were the active collaborators in this year.

August 31, 2015 0 comments
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cheetah daymembers

Reaching the top of Iran in the name of cheetahs!

by مدیر سایت August 30, 2015
written by مدیر سایت 0 minutes read

Two members of the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) climbed the highest Iranian peak, Damavand, in the name of Iranian cheetahs. Sahar Dadkhah and Vahid Farid, a young Iranian couple, and their team at Nemouneh Mountaineering Group, made their way through the top of the 5,671-m Damavand aiming to attract attentions for conservation of the Critically Endangered Asiatic cheetah.

August 30, 2015 0 comments
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Help us save the Asiatic cheetah from extinction


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  • New Report on Asiatic Cheetah Population in Iran Released
  • Iranian Cheetah Society Releases Triennial Report For 2021-2023
  • ICS Participated in First Cheetah Global Summit held in Ethiopia
  • Khorshid: The Everlasting Hope of Turan
  • Explorers of Hope Follow the Trail of a Cheetah in a Rural Area

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New Report on Asiatic Cheetah Population in Iran Released

Iranian Cheetah Society Releases Triennial Report on Wildlife Conservation and Asiatic Cheetah Conservation

Iranian Cheetah Society Releases Triennial Report For 2021-2023

Iranian Cheetah Society team with the Laurie Marker from CCF

ICS Participated in First Cheetah Global Summit held in Ethiopia

Asiatic Cheetah cubs, Khorshid Family

Khorshid: The Everlasting Hope of Turan

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  • Home
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    • International Donors of 2023
  • Species
    • Asiatic Cheetah
  • News
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    • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Download
    • Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Report (2021-2023)
    • 2021-2023 Triennial Activity Report
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    • Asiatic Cheetah Infographic
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