A family of Asiatic cheetahs has been photo-trapped for the first time in northeastern Iran. During an ongoing intensive monitoring of the cheetahs by means of camera traps in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, an adult cheetah in companion of her three small cubs was taken. The animals were recorded on several occasions while coming to water sources to drink. Not older than three months, the cheetahs cubs look healthy still keeping their mantle which is typical of small cheetah cubs. In August 2010, another family of the cheetahs were sighted by locals in this area, two cubs with their mom which later were approved based on their signs. However, this is an extraordinary record of a large family on pictures in northeastern Iran, indicating the area
Recent camera trapping efforts in northeastern Iran indicate that the Asiatic cheetahs have bred in the area. Accordingly, an adult female cheetah has been photo trapped while coming to a waterhole in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, a reserve which has been monitored by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) since 2003. Despite deployment of high-tech digital camera traps at all known water sources of this arid area since early summer; however, the cheetah who must have cubs was taken only once at these water sources, revealing its magnificent adaptability to survive in arid areas of Iran. The animal
Iran is considered to be an arid country with low annual rainfall for majority of its eastern half where the critically endangered Asiatic cheetahs roam. Over past decades, building artificial and improving natural waterholes for desert species has been a management action to moderate this limiting factor. However, in spite of high costs, this tool
Ranging across most of Africa and part of the Middle East, caracal is a medium-sized member of cat family. It occurs within majority of arid environments of central and eastern parts of Iran and is considered as the most ecologically studied lesser cat in the country. Globally, the species has been divided into 8 sub-species worldwide and the Asian sub-species is called C. caracal schmitzi. Moreover, a small range in Turkmenistan and northeastern Iran is called C. caracal michaelis. The IUCN lists C. caracal as a species of least concern, but concedes that C. caracal schmitzi is unclassified and C. caracal michaelis is endangered; C. c. michaelis appears to be threatened in most of its range. Paucity of available information on caracals in Iran raises the important question as to what sub-species it constitutes? After conducting genetic studies on Persian leopard in collaboration with Iranian Department of Environment and University of Tehran, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) has officially initiated a new study since 2011 to investigate phylogeny and genetic diversity of the caracals in Iran which is in partnership with the Iranian DoE and Lisbon University, Portugal. So far, around 30 different caracals from different parts of Iran have been samples, mostly killed in road incidents or confiscated by game wardens and laboratory analysis are being undertaken. There is no doubt that reports of a specimen, however old, can help us in this research, especially from the northern and north-eastern parts of Iran. We are therefore urging the readers of this article to provide us with any information they may have on any type of specimen such as carcasses or stuffed animals.
As one of the smallest fox species in deserts of west Asia, Blanford’s or Afghan fox has recently been confirmed across a range of habitat types in Abbas Abad Wildlife Refuge, central Iran. It has been rarely studied in the wild and no proper knowledge was available about this small canid in Iran before application of camera traps. Meanwhile, ongoing camera trapping efforts in central Iran reveals the species presence in scattered locations in desert ecosystems of the country. Initiated since March 2012, the systematic camera trapping survey on 40 different locations indicated relatively high abundance of the Blanford
Based on recent camera trapping surveys conducted in central Iran, it was explored that huge distances have been covered by the Asiatic cheetahs. A famous female which has been monitored over the past three years was found to patrol between two reserves, namely as Siahkouh National Park and Dare Anjir Wildlife Refuge with an aerial distance of more than 130 km. The female was first found in Siahkoh in 2009 giving birth to a litter of three cheetah cubs, but she lost one of her cubs within the first months. She lived there until the second year of her cubs
Born in Siahkouh National Park in spring 2010, two cheetah siblings are now roaming Ariz No Hunting Area, central Iran. After losing a sibling during first months, the cheetahs accompanied by their mom walked more than 130 kilometers through vast deserts of central Iran to arrive in Dare Anjir Wildlife Refuge in summer 2011. Since last winter, they are dispersing southward and now they are ranging in Ariz, a newly established reserve just south of Dare Anjir. After brother
Finally,
A fantastic image of one of the Persian leopards recently photo-trapped in Bafq Protected Area was published as cover photo in IUCN
It is years that snare traps are removing the wildlife in northern Iran, particularly the Persian leopard. They are mainly deployed to control wild boar which harms rice farmlands. Therefore, people try to compensate high level of conflict with boars through arming their farmlands with snare traps, because they are mainly dependent to crops for their life. However, since the traps are working non-selectively, other animals are also vulnerable to be snared.
Recently, a young female leopard was killed in a snare trap around Mousha village in Dorfak Protected Area, northern Iran. The trap was not aimed for the leopard, but the abundant boars invading the rice farmlands during nighttime. Moreover, there was a rumor telling that the leopard
