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Miandasht Wildlife Refuge

Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Program

The starting of nationwide population monitoring of the Asiatic Cheetah

by pourmir July 19, 2021
written by pourmir 1 minutes read

The year 2021 is a significant year for monitoring the situation of the Asiatic Cheetah in Iran. Touran Biosphere Reserve is already known as the only habitat for breeding Cheetah habitat in Iran. Although there have not been recorded any cheetah in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge since 2019, there is evidence of moving cheetahs from Touran toward adjacent habitat. Therefore, one of the most important actions includes recording whatever is happening in the present situation of the cheetah in Iran then take immediate and proposed steps accordingly.

Asiatic Cheetah Monitoring Program
Asiatic Cheetah Monitoring Program
Asiatic Cheetah Monitoring Program

Last year, besides monitoring Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, camera traps were installed in some areas of Touran Biosphere Reserves. According to the significant role of Touran in the free-ranging cheetah’s fate in the habitat, installing camera traps will be done more widespread this year. The monitoring will also be done in Miandasht to avoid ignoring the study of the second cheetah’s active habitat and record the probable return of the cheetah to the area.
The installation of camera traps has been begun in June 2021 and will continue according to the priorities area. The ICS team does all these processes, including installation and checking in cooperation with the area’s professional rangers and provincial administrations. The results of this project will be published accordingly.

Rangers installing cameratrap

Rangers installing cameratrap

 

July 19, 2021 0 comments
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Asiatic Cheetah in Touran Biosphere Reserve
Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Program

End of Annual “Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Program”

by pourmir February 20, 2021
written by pourmir 1 minutes read

Miandasht Wildlife Refuge and Touran Biosphere Reserve were the only remaining reproductive Asiatic Cheetah habitats in Iran.
Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, with 84 thousand hectares, was one of the first areas that the Iranian Cheetah Society started working on for conserving the cheetah population. However, it’s been two years since there have been any records of cheetah reproduction there.
Unlike Miandasht, Touran Biosphere Reserve with 1.5 million hectares is the only remaining area with records of cheetah reproduction nowadays, so it is crucial for conserving the only Asiatic Cheetah habitat in the world.
Therefore, the Iranian Cheetah Society started their new project in September of 2020 to include Touran beside Miandasht in the surveys and camera trap to find new individuals. However, we couldn’t do the camera trappings in Touran ourselves because of the official technicalities, so we only gave our council and taught the rangers how to use and install the camera traps.
In both areas, camera traps worked for four months until the start of 2021 that livestock moved to the areas’ edges. So, we had to remove and relocate them near the core.
Unfortunately, the results don’t show any cheetah recorded in Miandasht, which is very concerning, but there have been some cheetah records in Touran, which we are now analyzing and identifying.
Here you can see some of the photos that have been captured by the camera traps in Touran. Hope you will enjoy them.

 

February 20, 2021 0 comments
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Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Program

Asiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring of Miandasht Wildlife Refuge

by pourmir February 1, 2021
written by pourmir 1 minutes read

The camera traps installed at the North Khorasan Province, Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, have been collected after four months of operating in September 2020. Our team established cameras in collaboration with North Khorasan’s DOE and the refuge’s rangers. They reconfirm the high biodiversity of the region, same as in recent years. This biodiversity owes to the rangers’ conservation and patrolling constantly.
Unfortunately, any image of the Asiatic Cheetah was not recorded during this period. The entry of livestock out of The Zamen Aho National Park borders at the beginning of Winter makes it impossible to use camera traps in the refuge. Therefore, to make sure, more cameras installed in the Zamen Aho National Park’s important zones, which is located in the middle of the refuge, to record any possible entrance of the cheetahs in the area and the national park.

Hopefully, the images of cheetah cubs have been recorded in The Turan’s biosphere reserve during the past few months. Also, several reports of seeing cheetahs at the Turan – Miandasht corridor raises our hopes of this unique species’ existence in the Miandasht.

To make these hope real, we have to take serious conservation steps to improve habitats’ conditions to enter cheetahs and save them. Removing feral and hybrid dogs, equipping rangers, making the troughs inaccessible for domestic animals, etc., needs urgent action. Besides other conserving efforts, all these mentioned steps could be possible and achievable with Department of Environment administrations’ collaboration, non-governmental organizations.
Our cameras recorded the following picture during this year in Miadasht Wildlife Refuge. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Gray Wolf
Wildcat
Wildcat Family
Fox
Gazelle
Gazelle
Eagles
Eagle and Gazelle
February 1, 2021 0 comments
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Water for Cheetahs Project

Facing Climate Change: Transforming Threats to Opportunities

by pourmir December 7, 2020
written by pourmir 1 minutes read

Since 2014, ICS launched the “Water for Cheetahs” program to tackle climate change impacts on Asiatic Cheetah habitats.
During these years, we hired a person to supply water for throughs in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge. Camel-proofing and maintenance throughs were other initiatives by ICS to fight the drought.
We know local people’s knowledge as a valuable source to enhance conservation efforts. Conservationists who seek local solutions made the most notable impact in preserving biodiversity and landscapes.
Considering this fact, we constructed 12 dams in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge during 2019. These dams intended to control seasonal floods and keep freshwater for months after winter. This water not only can be used by wildlife directly but also will strengthen vegetation behind the dam. Meanwhile, controlling floods will decrease erosion. Locals currently use this method to grow more vegetation for their livestock.
Starting the Fall, we noticed that most of these dams need maintenance to keep them working during Fall and Winter. Therefore, ICS hired a wheel loader to repair all previously constructed dams plus three dams built by locals in the past.
Meanwhile, 30Km of dirt road inside the Refuge is leveled by the loader.
This project has been funded by Stichting SPOTS, our partner in the Netherlands.

 

December 7, 2020 0 comments
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Rangers Program

Hiring Rangers in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge

by مدیر سایت March 3, 2020
written by مدیر سایت 2 minutes read

Rangers can play a serious role in conserving wildlife especially endangered species, which are facing multiple threats such as mine, road and railway development, and also livestock and their sheepdogs.
The insufficiency of rangers in the Department of Environment(DoE) protected areas (compared to worldwide standards) has always been a concern for conservationists. On the other hand, the complexity of hiring new rangers (such as equipment, insurance, legislation, health risks, etc.) is a true challenge to decision-makers.

Through the past twelve months, the Iranian Cheetah Society had focused on work in Miandsasht Wildlife Refuge in which due to its ongoing projects for cheetah conservation. We hired 2 new rangers in the area in order to help current 8 other rangers in patrols, livestock movement control, and examining wildlife tracking. The contract of this project was signed in early 2019 in attendance of the head of North Khorasan province DoE and Jajarm county governer.

Through the first contract, 2 people who were already familiar with the area and ranger responsibilities started work and increased manpower by 20%. The contract continued with only one of the 2 rangers.
The ICS bought a CRM motorcycle, repaired one of the existing motorcycles, funded fuel, and further repairs to facilitate the vehicle shortage in patrols.

Hiring these people has had a big amount of legal and financial responsibilities for the ICS and can be mentioned as one of the most expensive of its projects. Hopefully, this project has had financial help from sponsors such as Raees cafe, Seen cafe, Mohajerat Plus co., StichingSpots., caring people, and also the support of the head and staff of North Khorasan DoE, and head of Jajarm county DoE.

Hired Ranger in cheetah habitat working with camera-trap
Hired Ranger in cheetah habitat riding motorbike
Contract signing event
Asiatic Cheetah Raner
Hired Ranger in cheetah habitat riding motorbike
March 3, 2020 0 comments
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Asiatic Cheetah Conservation ProgramAsiatic Cheetah Population Monitoring Program

The camera trapping procedure in Miandasht wildlife refuge

by مدیر سایت February 24, 2020
written by مدیر سایت 1 minutes read

Throughout the camera trapping procedure (July-November 2019) no images of cheetahs were recorded in Miandsasht (North-Khorasan province)- a habitat that has had breeding in the recent years. A vague report of a ranger in this area has also been left unproven.

The only identified dominant male cheetah of the habitat was unfortunately killed due to road accident last year; and no sign of cheetahs were seen ever since.
Even though no cheetahs have been spotted, photos of other species show a rich habitat as you can see in the shared photos.

Despite all discouragements, the Iranian Cheetah Society continues its conservational activities in the cheetah habitats and also encourages conservation outside of the habitat, and breeding programs in fenced facilities.

Striped hyena
Caracal
Golden Eagle
Wolf
Wild boar
Indian crested porcupine

 

February 24, 2020 0 comments
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Asiatic Cheetah Conservation ProgramRangers Program

Workshop for practical training and building capacities among rangers of Asiatic Cheetah reserves

by pourmir December 18, 2019
written by pourmir 2 minutes read

In line with the objectives of ICS and following our collaboration regarding the Asiatic Cheetah Conservation Project (CACP), three workshops were held in the habitats of Asiatic Cheetah. The dates of these workshops were 28th of November, 5th, and 6th of December and the participants were rangers aiming to learn skills regarding the conservation of cheetahs.

The location of these one-day workshops were the Asiatic Cheetah Training and Research Centre in the town of Ardakan, as well as the Department of Environmental in Garmasr city and the Delbar rangers base in Turan National Park.

The participants in these workshops were from Darreh Anjir & Neybaz wildlife refuge, Siahkooh national park, Bafgh Mountain protected area, Hunting-Prohibited area of Bahabad in Yazd province, wildlife refuge of Darband Ravar in Kerman province, wildlife refuge of Naybandan in south-Khorasan province, wildlife refuge of Abbas Abad in Isfahan province, wildlife reserve of Miandasht in North-Khorasan province, Kavir national park and the Turan biosphere reserve in Semnan province.

The workshops were held to update and extend the knowledge of these rangers of Asiatic Cheetah habitat. The topics were chosen based on their usefulness for these people. For instance skills such as taking professional photos with phones, working professionally with phone GPS, spotting the tracks of carnivores in cheetah’s habitats, working with camera-traps, etc. In addition to these, some amount of information was gathered thanks to the contributions of participants.

Increasing the knowledge and the experience of rangers has a direct effect on their protection of wildlife reserves. In addition to all these advantages, their concerns and recommendations will also be shared with other people in the government.

ICS would like to thank all departments from provinces Yazd, Kerman, Semnan, Isfahan, North Khorasan and South Khorasan for their support and efforts regarding these workshops.

December 18, 2019 0 comments
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ICS in News

Asiatic Cheetahs In Iran: An Everyday Struggle For Survival

by pourmir December 2, 2019
written by pourmir 6 minutes read

The Asiatic cheetah, scientifically known as Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, is one of the critically endangered big cats in the family Felidae. The species was once distributed across the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. The Asiatic cheetah has since been extirpated in most countries in the region except Iran. The population of the Asiatic cheetah is currently fragmented into three subpopulations in the central arid plateau. Conservation experts now estimate that the population of the Asiatic Cheetahs in Iran is fewer than 50 individuals. According to a study published on Cat News, at least 26 different individuals have been recorded by camera traps and directly observed between 2015 and 2017. The northern subpopulation located in the Miandasht Wildlife range or the Touran Biosphere Reserve is the only place with evidence of reproduction. Reproduction has, however, not been observed in the southern subpopulation since 2012, indicating a probable decrease in the range and size of the population. The western sub-population has not had recorded sightings since 2013. There have also been unconfirmed sightings in Pakistan in the Balochistan area, but experts believe that the sightings do not represent a stable or resident population.

Past distribution and population size in Iran

In Iran, the Asiatic cheetah population prior to World War II was estimated to be about 400 with the range of the species, including desert and steppe areas in the eastern half of the country and western terrain near the Iraqi border. After the war, the cheetah populations declined rapidly, mainly due to a reduction of prey, including gazelles that were hunted for bushmeat. In 1956, the cheetah and gazelle were both declared protected by law by the Iranian Game Council. As a result, the gazelle population recovered significantly. By 1959, researchers also observed a significant recovery of the cheetah population, highlighting the intricate relationship between predator and prey. In the late 1970s, cheetah population estimates varied widely with some assessments concluding there were between 200 and 300 individuals while others stuck with conservative estimates of about 100 individuals in the wild.

Areas where Asiatic cheetahs can be spotted

The Miandasht Wildlife Refugeis regarded as one of the best cheetah habitats in the country. The refuge has a plain and hilly terrain with deep watercourses that provide a suitable habitat for Asiatic cheetah. The area also has a sizable population of goitered gazelle, which exists in the scrublands of the refuge, thus ensuring a steady supply of food for the cheetahs. According to the Iranian Department of the Environment, Cheetahs briefly vanished from Miandasht after the 1979 revolution when wildlife conservation efforts were disrupted. It is believed that as conservation efforts began to improve, cheetahs from the neighboring Khar Turan National Park gradually moved back to the refuge and established a resident population. Several locals who made unconfirmed sightings of the animal during that period, however, believe that the cheetahs persisted in the refuge, albeit in smaller numbers, and later increased with the improvement of conservation efforts. The Kahr Turan national park is the second largest reserve in the country. It consists of an area of about 1.4 million hectares. The park’s enormous size and deserts allowed various species to escape poachers during critical periods when humans threatened most species in other protected areas. The park has an estimated 12 to 15 cheetahs that rely on gazelles, wild goats, and wild sheep for sustenance.

Asiatic cheetah research

The study of the fragmented Asiatic cheetah population requires the use of camera traps, among other techniques. Conservation scientists typically place knee-high camera traps along identified game trails within the sub-species’ home range. The devices are then left for long periods of time, typically months and in some cases years. Such devices are fitted with motion sensors that trigger the device whenever something passes within its range, which is usually between 10 to 15 feet. The devices are, however, incapable of transmitting data. At night images of cheetahs captured at a distance of 15 feet appear spectral, but image quality improves substantially during the day. Images obtained provide vital information that allows conservationists to identify individuals, observe their general condition, and conduct a rough estimate of the number of cheetahs in the area. Direct observation is also used in the study of cheetahs in the country. In the case of the August 2007, Project Asiatic Cheetah in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge Study, the Iranian Cheetah Society used direct observation as a critical method of studying Cheetahs in the area. Other methods that were used by the organization include scat collection and the study of cheetah tracks and kills.

Threats to the species

Historically human activity has been the main threat to the species. In several Asian countries, including Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, excessive hunting has been blamed for the decline of the species. In Iran, the cheetah’s decline has been blamed on the reduction of their preferred prey due to poaching. Encroachment of cheetah habitat by urban and industrial development has also affected cheetah populations significantly. For example, the nation’s two primary coal and iron mines are situated in regions with the largest populations of Asiatic cheetahs outside national parks. The development of road infrastructure and buildings has made the species more susceptible to poachers. Moreover, it was recently discovered that a significant number of cheetahs in the country died as a result of road accidents.

Conservation 

There are currently several conservation projects in Iran that are collectively helping in the protection of the Asiatic cheetah. The population of cheetahs in the northern habitats of Touran and Maindasht has increased by an estimated 17%. The increase in population has been attributed, in part, to the enhanced morale and vigilance of game guards. International organizations, including UN agencies and the Global Environment facility, have also provided critical funding and backing for projects aimed at protecting the cheetahs. Other measures that have been implemented include the purchase of traditional grazing and water rights from herders in protected areas such as the Touran National park in order to minimize human and cheetah conflict. An innovative community reserve is also being piloted in Yazd province. Public awareness has also been done through the transformation of the Asiatic cheetah into a national symbol. Previously, images of the Asiatic cheetah have been used to embellish the uniforms of the country’s national team.

Challenges facing the conservation of the Asiatic cheetah

Implementing measures aimed at conserving the last survivors of the Asiatic cheetah subspecies has proved to be extremely difficult. In the past, the Iranian department of the environment, which bears the primary role of protecting the nation’s threatened species, has had to cope with budget cuts that severely limit conservation efforts. The challenge has been compounded by heavy international sanctions placed on the country. Over the years, conservationists in the country increasingly found themselves reliant on the UNDP for funding of conservation projects. Deep budget cuts in 2017, however, forced the UNDP to cut funding of the Asiatic cheetah conservation project leaving a substantial financial deficit in conservation efforts.

 

December 2, 2019 0 comments
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Asiatic Cheetah Conservation Program

Constructing dams in Miandasht has been started

by pourmir March 15, 2019
written by pourmir 0 minutes read
The Iranian Cheetah Society has constructed 8 small dams in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge to provide water for the area and its wildlife. The rangers of Miandasht WR cooperated in running this project by identifying and suggesting the proper locations to construct the dams.  These dams will create seasonal and temporary ponds that can be used by Cheetah preys and other species.
This project has been funded by Stichting SPOTS, our partner in the Netherlands.
March 15, 2019 0 comments
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Asiatic Cheetah Conservation Program

Miandasht is now safer, two rangers are hired by ICS after the crowdfunding campaign

by pourmir January 21, 2019
written by pourmir 1 minutes read

Thanks to the support of wildlife lovers and the financial backing of Raees Café and Sein Café, all the required budget to hire two rangers in the Miandasht Wildlife refuge has been raised.
These two persons will join the current official rangers in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge for six months to patrol and monitor the area.
Miandasht is one of the most sensitive reserves for the conservation of Asiatic Cheetahs specifically at the golden time of the year, namely, winter and spring when the reproduction of cheetahs is occurring. However, the entry of livestock and herder’s dogs threatens their situation. In addition, Yargholi, the known male cheetah of the reserve was killed in a road accident a few months ago. Therefore, the importance of increasing human resource and developing the protection plans of the area seem essential.
Iranian Cheetah Society hopes to continue the procedure with the help of those who concern to Iran wildlife and extend the contract of these ranges in the area.

January 21, 2019 0 comments
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  • Iranian Cheetah Society Releases Triennial Report For 2021-2023
  • ICS Participated in First Cheetah Global Summit held in Ethiopia
  • Khorshid: The Everlasting Hope of Turan
  • Explorers of Hope Follow the Trail of a Cheetah in a Rural Area

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New Report on Asiatic Cheetah Population in Iran Released

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Iranian Cheetah Society Releases Triennial Report For 2021-2023

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ICS Participated in First Cheetah Global Summit held in Ethiopia

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Khorshid: The Everlasting Hope of Turan

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