The Iranian Cheetah Society celebrated the International Day for Biological Diversity in a one-day ceremony at Pardisan Nature Park, Tehran. The program included education theater and environmental games for children and short talks about the wildlife of Iran and Iranian carnivores. Additionally, the Society launched another ceremony on May 28.
The Iranian Cheetah Society runs conservation education workshops emphasizing awareness and understating of wildlife and human-wildlife coexistence. During the workshops, the Society teaches volunteer educators basic concepts about the Iranian wildlife, particularly large carnivores, their needs and importance, and their relationships to people and the environment.
The first workshop was held on May 13 and focused on an introduction to large carnivores of Iran, with 11 volunteers attended. Trained facilitators conduct the Society’s educator workshops throughout this year and are available to educators free of charge.
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.
Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) & Twenty-six art gallery, cordially invites you to the group photo exhibition.
Opening: Friday, May 8, 2015, 4 – 8 pm
Exhibition ends: Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Visiting days and hours: Everyday, 3 – 8 pm
Address: Unit 3, No 26, Salmanpour Zahir Ave (Sonbol), Eastern Lavasani St. (Farmanieh), Tehran
Tel: 22 28 75 47
All benefits from this exhibition will be devoted to conservation of iranian cheetah.
On April 26, 21th “WildTalk” seminar held at Entesharat Fanni Hall, Tehran. The event brought together more than 50 researchers, students, and nature lovers. Subject covered in this event was an introduction to wildlife veterinary, presented by DVM Iman Memarian. Iman is the Chief Veterinarian at Tehran Zoo and works at Iran Department of the Environment’s Animal Rehabilitation Center in Tehran as well.
The presentation started with a brief introduction of history of wildlife veterinary as a science and how it quickly developed to an essential part of all wildlife conservation programs in the world. Iman also focused on different specializations in wildlife veterinary and how a wildlife vet should interact with animals. Additionally, a short introduction to safe capturing and anesthesia of wildlife for research and management proposes was presented.
The WildTalk is a bi-monthly seminar focusing on different aspects of wildlife conservation and management in Iran, holding jointly by the Iranian Cheetah Society, Entesharat Fanni Publications, and Zistboom News Agency. Each seminar features presentations by one or two Iranian researcher who present their work to early-career students and other nature lovers.
The second phase of nation-wide cheetah monitoring continued in Naybandan Wildlife Refuge, South Khorasan province, in January 2015. In collaboration with the local wildlife authority, cameras were collected in May 2015. We have now started analyzing the photos and identifying the captured cheetahs. Preliminary results have confirmed that the male cheetah, who was photo-captured in 2013 and awarded the BBC Wildlife Camera-trap Photo of the Year 2014, still occurs in the reserve. The Society’s camera traps have also captured a dozen of photos of sympatric carnivores with cheetahs.
‘Yuznameh’ (meaning ‘Cheetah Letters’ in Persian) is the bi-seasonal newsletter of the Iranian Cheetah Society. The new issue of the newsletter reports the Society’s activities and project between summer 2014 and winter 2015. Click here to download the new issue.
The interview featured in “The Other Side” series, about wildlife documentary in Iran. Morteza Eslami, CEO of the Society, discussed ICS’ experience in production of Iranian wildlife documentaries in the country, after the critically acclaimed movie “In search for the Persian leopard” released in 2011.
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:
Iranian Cheetah Society launches a community-based project to engage local people with the nation-wide cheetah monitoring project in Iran.
Conservation of the Asiatic cheetahs in Iran has been the country’s most important conservation initiative during the past decade. Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), together with Iran Department of the Environment and other NGOs, has focused its activities on research and conservation activities about the species. Yet, local people living in the cheetah habitats have rarely got involved in the past efforts. Involvement of local communities in conservation of endangered wildlife populations is known as an effective wildlife steward. Inspiring and enthusing local people for conservation of the cheetah and its habitats in Iran can gives new hope for long-term survival of the critically-endangered species in Iran.
ICS is now working on methods of local people’s engagement in cheetah conservation in some key reserve in central Iran. In the second year of nation-wide cheetah monitoring project, ICS seeks ground for this in Dareh Anjir Wildlife Refuge in Yazd province as a pilot site. ICS hopes this exercise provides critical information for a large-scale community-based project for conservation of Asiatic cheetahs in the third year of the cheetah monitoring program.
Postal Address: P.O.Box 14155-8549, Tehran, Iran
Office: Unit 2, Number 3, Jomhouri Ave, Tehran, Tehran Province
Whatsapp: +98 (935) 2450054
Email:
info[at]wildlife[dot]ir
