The endangered Persian leopard has recently attracted numerous research efforts in Iran; however, it is highly important that research projects support and improve the conservation status of the cat
In order to educate local people the cheetah and its habitat, educational tours were organized within cheetah habitat in Kalmand, southern Yazd in a joint effort by Yazd Department of Environment and Mehriz Office of Education, led by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS). A total of 70 students and teachr
A training workshop was held in Lahijan Azad University, northern Iran to enhance professional knowledge among students and experts. Attended by more than 50 undergraduate and graduate students of natural resources and biodiversity as well as Gilan Department of Environment
Caravan of Cheetah Show arrived in Miandasht, northeastern Iran where is one of the most important habitats for the species in Asia. The Cheetah Show was performed in three main human settlements, namely as Sankhast town and Azadvar and Farashin villages. These communities are considered to have great interaction with the reserve, as they have a number of poachers as well as herders and shepherds who visit the area periodically. Miandasht is allowed to be grazed by around 15000 heads of livestock which are mainly from these communities and they visit parts of the area during winter. So, the educational program was designed to be before 2010-2011 grazing season to increase their knowledge about the cheetah and other wildlife species and to help them how to avoid any conflict with the carnivores.
Accordingly, three festivals were organized in three mentioned sites and all were hosted by local authorities. Local people including herders, hunters, farmers, students and authorities attended the festivals which each was officially opened by representatives of the Iranian Department of Environment (DoE). Meanwhile, a number of matches were held for students and a variety of educational materials were distributed among attendants. Finally, remains of recently poached gazelles which have been confiscated by the area
As starting the New Year, we are committed to share with you, definitely, the happiest moment for us at the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) at the end of 2010 as the Year of Leopard in Iran! This is the story: Since early 2010, ICS has been producing a documentary movie about the Persian leopard in Iran. Recently, the ICS film crew was successful to capture an impressive long shot of an adult male in Golestanak Reserve! The area hosts intensive research programs on brown bear as well as the leopard since 2005 (you can read about this study on Persian Leopard Newsletter, volume 3, August 2010). After continuous tracking by the biologists, a passive HD camera trap designed by an Iranian technician was quite helpful to trap the animal while exhibiting his territorial behavior. The animal is on a scrape, urinating and defecating, and then it sniffs and licks another scrape, possibly to find a mate! It was a big success for all of us before the end of 2010 as the year of leopard in Iran and encourages our film crew to work much more to produce a prestigious movie. We would like to thanks you all for any kind of supporting and wish you peace and prosperity this holiday. Season’s greetings and merry Christmas to our in-holiday friends!
The Persian leopard on the film
Persian leopard library is updated with new papers and reports on the animal. It is composed of more than 40 documents about the Persian leopard in English and German which are all available to download on the ICS website. Launching and maintaining the library is one of the main activities to celebrate the “Year of Leopard” in Iran to help researchers and biologists. One of the recent documents is Zukowsky’s report in early 1960 about description of the leopards’ subspecies in west Asia. The library is easy to access through clicking on the “Year of Leopard” in left main bar on the homepage.
In order to spread wildlife knowledge among local people, community-based organizations are supported by the ICS in different parts of Iran. These CBOs are well-motivated groups to enhance people’s awareness about the wildlife, particularly the Asiatic cheetah. Located in south Kavir National Park, Badroud is a small city where a local group is working as a volunteer environmentalist group. So far, the Badroud CBO has played a major role in holding a number of educational programs for the city’s as well as neighboring cities people which the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP), Shahid Rajaee Environmentalist Group and a number of local agencies have been its partners. Kavir National Park is one of the main habitats for the Asiatic cheetah in Iran plus Persian leopard, caracal, sand cat, etc. However, the area suffers poaching mainly from southern human settlements and the ICS is extensively working to identify and empower local groups in various communities in this area aiming to promote cheetah conservation. Abouzeydabad and Mahabad were also educational pilots for local efforts during past year.
In order to train ICS’ volunteers, a three-day field visit was organized in December 2010 to Miandasht and Shirahmad Wildlife Refuges, some 7-8 hours driving from Tehran toward northeastern Iran. Led by Mohammad Gaeini who has recently joined the ICS to hold field visits for members and volunteers, the expedition was organized for members and volunteers accompanied by Moretza Eslami, the ICS CEO. Kuskhki, the only captive Asiatic cheetah in the world was also met who is kept in Miandasht in a 12 hectares enclosure which was the special part of this program. To see more images, you can visit this website.