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.
The event, jointly held by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Iran Department of the Environment, celebrated collaboration of Iranian conservationists and athletes aiming for education and environmental awareness purposes. Iranian Cheetah Society’s CEO, Morteza Eslami, received the prize in the final ceremony from the national managers of the Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project. Additionally, the head of the Society’s documentary production unit, Fathollah Amiri, awarded as the best environmental documentary maker.
The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports of Iran, deputies of Iran Department of the Environment, environmental NGOs and activists, and a number of Iranian top athletes attended the final ceremony.
Very recently a video of a captive cheetah has rapidly spread on the web, in which apparently the owner is talking with the animal in Farsi. The Iranian Cheetah Society is investigating the originality of the video and has tried to contact the video creator. It is not understood if the video is actually captured in Iran, or in one of the Persian Gulf countries where keeping exotic animals like cheetahs are common, and if the animal in this video is an Asiatic cheetah. It is not possible to draw any firm conclusion based on this video as Asiatic and African cheetahs are morphologically are almost look alike. The Iranian Cheetah Society encourages the public to contact us with any information about this video at: [email protected]
The second Yahya Prize ceremony took place at Ezzatolah Entezami’s House Museum, Tehran, on the evening of July 25. Established by ICS in 2014 through a generous donation by an Iranian artist couple, Mojtaba Ramzi and Paridokht Moshkzad, the Yahya Prize recognises individual rangers who has suffered serious injuries to protect Iran’s wildlife and natural environment. This year the Award honoured six rangers from different provinces across Iran, who has been selected by the award committee through an intensive five-month effort.
The 2015 Yahya Prize ceremony was held in collaboration with University of Environment (UOE), Iran Environment and Wildlife Watch (IEW), and Zistboom Environment News Agency, and delegates from Iran Department of the Environment, Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project, Ezzatolah Entezami’s House Museum, Iran Wildlife Pictures Institute, and several Iranian NGOs and nature lovers attended the event.
photos by: Ehsan Janati
The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) 2014/2015 Annual Report has just been released! This annual report highlights the work and progress ICS has made in the Persian year (1393) ending 20 March 2015. The highlights in 2014 include: updates from ICS’ Cheetah and Leopard Programmes, scientific and popular publications and participation in international and national conferences, education campaigns in Iran, the Yahya Award for rangers, and ICS partners in 2014. You can download the Farsi report here.
ICS is a non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to saving the rich but fast disappearing biodiversity of Iran. Carnivores are an essential priority within the ICS activities and various research and conservation projects have been implemented for several species, in particular the Asiatic cheetah and Persian leopards.
On May 7, the Cheetah Photographer exhibition premiered at Gallery 26, Tehran. The exhibition featured 17 award-winning images of the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah, illustrating the majesty yet vulnerability of the cheetahs in Iran. The event brought the talent and vision of each photographer to all who visit. The exhibition was companied by talks about cheetah status and wildlife conservation in Iran.
The competition launched in February by the Society and was open to anyone, consisting of one category focusing on the Iranian cheetahs. In total, 309 images from 31 photographer received to the exhibition committee. A panel of experts judged all the entries and eventually 16 images taken by seven photographers were selected. Moreover, “Arash”, the winner of BBC Wildlife Camera-trap Photo of the Year 2014, was also featured in the exhibition.
Another footage of Asiatic cheetahs captured by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) received worldwide recognition.
In conjunction with The Times, World Land Trust (WLT) run International Trail Camera Competition 2014. A group of world-known conservationists and photographers judged this year’s competition. ICS, as one of the WLT partners, submitted a rare footage of cheetah encounters with a camel in northeastern Iran.
Simon Barnes, writer and WLT Council member and one of the competition judges, describes the ICS’ video as the one that “sparked no debate: we were unanimous from the first viewing. It’s a glorious tale in miniature and it begins – but only begins – with a camel.”
The camera was sat on a water point in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, North Khorasan province. Late at night a free-ranging camel comes to the water point. After a few seconds, suddenly, two cheetahs appear in the scene. The cheetahs try to approach to the water point but, apparently, the camel easily drives them back. This footage rejects this myth that cheetahs predate on adult camels in Iran, which frequently claims by local camel breeders in some cheetah reserves in Iran.
On youtube: https://youtu.be/iOZl9ID-7II
To read more about WLT’s trail camera competition and to see the cheetah’s footage follow this link:
Between 21 and 24 February 2015, the 14th International Exhibition of Environment launched in Tehran. With representatives from several European and Asian countries, as well as provincial offices of Iran Department of the Environment, environmental NGOs, and Iranian firms and companies; the exhibition is the most important annual event about environmental issues in Iran.
As the past years Iranian Cheetah Society attended the event, presenting its conservation activities about Iranian wildlife, particularly the Asiatic cheetahs. The ICS’ booth was one the most busy spots in the exhibition, and visitors received the most recent information about our work in remote habitats of Iran. Information about the Iranian wildlife, working with trail cameras, environmental games for kids, ICS’ internal newsletter, an album of most recent camera-trapped pictures of Iranian wildlife by ICS, and various booklets and infographic posters were among the products and activities that ICS provided in the exhibition.
In the final ceremony of the exhibition, attended by Iran’s VP and Head of Iran Department of the Environment, Dr. Masoumeh Ebtekar, the Iranian Cheetah Society awarded for its participation and role as an environmental NGO in this event.
Iran’s Exhibition of Environment holds annually to represent the latest technologies and achievements in field of environment and its related industries, particularly new environmental technologies in fields of weather, water, and soil quality management. This exhibition also seeks opportunities to prepare the ground for public participation in protection of Iran’s environment.
On February 21 2015, Mr. Seki Soichiro, Director-General of Global Environment Bureau of Japan’s Ministry of Environment visited the Iranian Cheetah Society’s booth at Tehran’s 14th International Exhibition of Environment. Accompanied by Iran’s Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Biodiversity, Dr. Ahmad-Ali Keykha, Mr. Soichiro received information about conservation activities that Iranian Cheetah Society is doing on the Iranian wildlife.
Yeskanews: The start of the second stage of the new Protective Program was informed by Massumeh Ebtekar. She asked the media and all the supporters of the wildllife to refrain from publicizing the news with extravagance in order to pursue this research in peace and harmony.
This project is under the supervision of Sean McKeon, a specialist in feline species, coming from Ireland.
The Endangered Species in Need of a Special Protective Program
Ebtekar emphasized that as the Environmental Bureau, they have responsibilities and one of the most important one is protecting different species. She added: Iran has a lot of different species some of which are endangered and in need to be protected by special means.
She said: right now there are a few centers caring and treating species such as Yellow Deer and Asian Zebra, also recently a lab for researching and protecting the Asian Leopards has been opened.
Koushki and Delbar are in good health and in specialized hands
The Prime Minister’s advisor pointed to his recent visit paid to this laboratory and center and also the initiation of two Leopards for means to start a new project, said: after much consideration and research, this project has been started and the International supervisor along with Iranian specialists have been overseeing all the different stages, from them being caught alive, transported and then freed. The two Leopards are in good health and are being taken care of by specialized veteran.Also it was announced that all the different stages of this project is being documented as it goes.
For keeping the peace and assuring the success of this project, refrain from publicizing the news too much.
Ebtekar emphasized that the protection and treatment of these animals requires great care so to stop an overload of visitors, she asked the media not to reveal the location of the prpject.
She repeated again and again that a good ending can only happen with the cooperation of the media and people.
She then added: about the Black Bear and the Leopard, the early planning has been done and the announcement should take place in near future.
