The European Badger Meles meles has a wide distribution across Eurasia from Scandinavia in north to the Middle East in south, where it is considered to be naturally rare. Although some authors have mentioned that the species is
Since 2006, Project Brown Bear was initiated in northern Iran to study the country
Biodiversity Education Project was launched in March 2010 in Kalmand Protected Area to educate local people about its top predators, including cheetah and leopard as well as its unique biodiversity within the city of Mehriz as well as relevant villages. Kalmand is one of the main hotspots of the endangered Persian leopard in central Iran and is supposed to be among the last refuges of the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah in Iran.
A variety of threats have been identified in this area affecting adversely survival of the species with poaching and habitat loss as the most important. Therefore, with respect to these factors, particularly poaching which has been boosted up recently by local youths in Kalmand, the educational program was started by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS). Hence, this project is training people in different age groups associated with relevant problems in Kalmand in order to protect regional biodiversity and important species, especially the big cats.
Initially, negotiations were done with local stakeholders, including Yazd Department of Environment, Ministry if Education, Mehriz Governor Office, etc. Meanwhile, the area’s baseline of information was developed composing if the site’s socio-economic data. Similar experiences of the past ICS’ project in Bafq were also shared with local partners to be more familiar with the project trend. Kalmand’s game wardens were recognized to be highly essential in success of the project, so they were asked to prepare the project’s goals and outcomes.
Finally, the project was started in local schools, after preliminary knowledge assessment to measure the project’s impact after the workshops. Game wardens were also present in the workshops o describe their role for the students. Now, the ICS is planning 6 tours for all local students to visit kalmand and to learn more practically about the animals on the ground. Their teachers will be also trained by the ICS to be more environmental-friendly teachers.
The Kalmand educational project is implementing with cooperation of Yazd Department of Environment with initial funding from Royal Dutch Embassy in Tehran and will last until spring 2011.
PRA meeting with Kalmand’s game wardens
Cheetah Theater Caravan started its expeditions to educate local hunters and herders about the cheetah and its biology in various habitats in Iran. After initial presentation by the ICS biologists, people watch the theater and then, they have opportunity to watch few more films and slide shows about the animals in their nearby areas. Meanwhile, local authorities give short presentation about importance of their area and how they would like to support conservation efforts. The first expedition was held in late November 2010 in central Iran. The cheetah theater is a joint effort between the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Iranian Department of Environment and plans to cover most of local communities until the end of coming winter.
Station 1: Choupanan, Abbas Abad Wildlife Refuge
Attended by more than 120 students as well as adult people, the show was held inside one of the schools. Afterward, local game wardens talked about the cheetah for people.
Station 2: Kharanaq, Dare Anjir Wildlife Refuge
Dare Anjir is one of the most important habitats for the cheetahs in Iran where has been subject to occasional poaching in past. The ceremony was highly welcomed by more than 150 local people and benefited from lectures presented by Jalal Musavi, the area chief game warden.
Station 3: Robat Posht Badam, Dare Anjir Wildlife Refuge
The show was organized in the village’s mosque and representatives from the governor officially opened it. Local mining companies delegation as well as Yazd Department of Environment were present in the ceremony. Finally, a group of local youths joined the DoE as volunteers to help for protection.
Educational cheetah show is visiting villages and cities around the cheetah habitats in Iran. Designed by educational section of the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), it deals with various threats the cheetahs are facing for their survival in Iran. It was first conducted in June 2010 in Tehran with several occasions in Darabad Museum of Natural History to celebrate the UN
National Cheetah Day celebration was held on fourth consecutive year on 16 and 17 September in Tehran Zoo. Organized by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), the festival was attended by various Iranian groups, such as NGOs, eco-tour communities, press representatives and university groups. It was supported by Iran Khordo Company, Sahlan Co. as well as with close cooperation of the Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Tehran Zoo.
The ICS arranged a variety of educational programs for visitors, such matches, drawing, etc. Cheetah Theater was among special events during the two-day festival. Visitors were presented information about research programs on Iranian carnivores, particularly the Asiatic cheetah and Persian leopard and Cheetah Radio announced latest news about the elusive animal in the zoo.
On 31 August 1994, a family of Iranian cheetahs was attacked by a number of people near Bafq Protected Area, central Iran. The mother run away, two cubs were killed, but the last cub was saved and lived in Pardisan Zoo, Tehran until 2003. She, namely Marita, was the only captive Iranian cheetah in the world and was a symbol for lack of awareness among local people in Iran which has been always considered as one of the main initiatives for the Iranian Cheetah Society since establishment in 2001.
Since 2007, the Cheetah Day has been celebrated by various Iranian NGOs and the Iranian Department of the Environment (DoE)’s Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project in which numerous educational programs were held inside the main cities as well as local communities around the cheetah habitat. Due to coincidence of the cheetah day and Ramadan, it was celebrated in September 2010.
Since October 2009, Anguran Wildlife Refuge in western Iran is hosting an ecological study on the elusive Eurasian lynx in Iran. Following assessment of the lynx status in the country in partnership of the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) selected Anguran as a pilot site to launch the first ecological research on the species in the country.
Camera trapping has been a principle research tool to capture the animals and 10 species of mammals have been photo-trapped during the first year. 2 species of Mustelids, including stone marten and common badger which are rarely captured in Iran have been recorded in Aguran. Moreover, 5 different individuals of wolves have been identified, including of 2 black animals, seemingly an indication of hybridization with dogs not long ago.
The Eurasian lynx has been seen a few times by the game wardens during the first year with the last report in October 2010 of a group of 2 animals near a herd of Armenian mouflons. Training workshops were held for the area
As the largest vehicle manufacturing company in the Middle East, Iran Khodro Company officially joined efforts to conserve the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah in Iran. Following of several meetings between the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) and Iran Khodro Company in Tehran, a MoU was signed by the ICS
Fourth issue of Persian Leopard Newsletter is released.
On 8 July 2010, final ceremony for the first National Festival of Iranian Youth was held in Tehran, Iran. The festival was organized in 14 categories with numerous attendants from across the country as well as Iranian youths abroad. Mohammad Farhadinia was selected to win the First Iranian Youth Award on category
