Bafq Protected Area is now fighting for its survival as one of the main environmental challenges of the country is threatening the area. As usual like many other protected areas in the world, a road is planned to be developed through heart of the reserve, an area which is one of the main hotspots for two rare species, Asiatic cheetah and Persian leopard. The road shortens the present road of a couple of villages behind Bafq Mountain to the central city. Now, local people have to drive some 78 km in a well-developed flat road to arrive to the city, but the new 56 km road is not a significant shortcut, just reduces 22 km comparing to existing route. Moreover, the new road passes through dangerous and steep mountainous slopes which while enhancing traffic incidences, increases fuel consumption as vehicles need to drive in mountainous road. In the meantime, the Iranian Department of Environment has offered two new alternatives which affect the protected area less adversely; however, less success has been achieved to establish these new items. Located in central country, Bafq is one of the most important habitats for our two big cats where numerous records of cheetah and leopard families indicate a breeding site for two species, particularly for the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah. It has been under official protection since 1996 and now, there is a relatively good population of above-mentioned cats as well as caracal and Manul
As the largest carnivore in Iran, the brown bear has been less studied across its vast distribution in the country, composing of Zagros and Alborz Mountains. Central Alborz Protected Area has been hosting the longest ever conducted investigation on the species in the country since 2005 by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) funded by DZCF. During this period, 13 different families of the bears were detected in the area which resulted an average litter size of 2. Comparing to other bear populations in the world, it is one of the smallest means for the bears which is speculated that low occurrence of meat in food items of the bears in the area explains this relatively small litter size. We hypothesize that the north-central portion of the Alborz Protected Area is a female core area which supports surrounding sink populations and needs to be protected more effectively. Results of the study has been published recently by the ICS experts in Ursus journal.
Moreover, intensive studies on the species in the Europe have shown that mother age can affect productivity in the brown bears, so older moms normally have more cubs. Therefore, litter size can serve as an indication for healthy status of the bear populations as in high-poaching areas; they are expected to have less number of cubs. The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) is now working on another research project through funds from Alertis Foundation in western Iran to explore more about it.
You can download the paper here.
In order to spread cat knowledge among local partners, a cat seminar was held in December 2011 in Aran & Bidegol City, central country by local office of Iranian Department of Environment (DoE) in cooperation with national GOs and NGOs. Hosted by the city
Iran is home to eight species of Mustelids, small carnivores ranging from weasel to badger. They normally have solitary life and exist in various habitat types. However, these animals have received less attention from scientific centers and no comprehensive investigation has ever been done on these species in the country. Accordingly, Mustelids Baseline Assessment has been initiated by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) in order to gather anecdotal data on distribution of the species in the country. Our final goal is to provide sound scientific-based status assessment and threats identification for family
In order to monitor population status of the Asiatic cheetah in central Iran, camera traps were deployed in Siahkouh National Park in a joint project by Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Yazd Department of Environment. Camera traps images of the cheetahs will be used to find different individuals occurring within the national park. There were rumors about cheetah presence in the area for many years; however, no reliable evidence was available to confirm its existence in this recently established national park. It was just early summer 2010 when a mother was photographed with three young cubs. Later on October 2010, another family was spotted with two cubs, indicating that last year Siahkuh hosted at least 7 different cheetahs. Therefore, in order to find a comprehensive perception about the cheetah status in the area, preliminary surveys were initiated since spring 2011 using track surveys and camera trapping. So far, 10 different mammals have been photo-trapped, such as caracal, wild cat, chinkara, Persian ibex, wild sheep, Ruppell
In order to enhance local people
Finally, after six years of research and documentary film production, first episode of
Ghameshlou National Park and Wildlife Refuge is home to three ungulates, goitered gazelle, wild sheep and wild goat. These have been subject to predation by grey wolf as well as to annual trophy hunting. Ghameshlou has been receiving significant support from the government to promote wildlife conservation, particularly for game species, yet despite four decades of official protection, little scientific research has been conducted in the area.
In a demographic study between July 2007 and April 2009, we assessed the seasonal group size variation and impact of environmental conditions on reproduction of these species. It was conducted as a joint project between Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), Esfahan Office of Environment and Shahid Beheshti Environmental Research Canter.
Sex ratio was highly skewed toward females in wild sheep, but appears to be more balanced for the other two species. Twin lambs were encountered rarely in gazelles and wild sheep herds. Severe drought and wolf predation were considered to be the main causes of lower reproductive success in these two species compared to the wild goat. It is recommended that population parameters of the species should be monitored in order to predict potential demographic trends.
We recommend continued monitoring of population parameters in the game species in the Ghameshlou Wildlife Refuge, as these data can show population trends, which are of importance for effective conservation. Moreover, with respect to negative sex bias toward ewes in the wild sheeps, we recommend to revise hunting permits in Ghameshlou Wildlife Refuge. Meanwhile, if the population size of the gazelles is monitored at least on a yearly basis, exploitation programs can perhaps be planned.
Results of this study were recently published as a scientific paper which can be downloaded here.
Following successful experience of Cheetah Theater during past year, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) is now developing a new theater for an endangered species, the Persian leopard. The leopard is the largest existing cat in west Asia which has a gloomy future, even inside Iran where the animal is still more abundant than the cheetahs. Meanwhile, numerous animals are killed every year which according to a recent evaluation, it is at least one animal per week. A majority of these mortalities are due to unawareness of local people which the theater is expected to be used to train communities. After more than 40 implementation in Tehran as well as local cities around the cheetah habitats, the
