Urgent Measures Needed For Conservation Of Iranian Cheetahs

An Iranian official at the Department of Environment has raised concerns over the precarious situation of the Iranian, or Asiatic cheetah as numbers have dwindled to several dozen animals.

Hassan Akbari, the Deputy for Natural Environment and Biodiversity at the Iranian Department of Environment, expressed grave concerns on Monday emphasizing the immediate need for conservation efforts, pointing to natural and human-induced threats, particularly road accidents, as significant dangers to the species.

Despite 52% of recorded cheetah deaths being attributed to road accidents, the Iranian Department of Environment has yet to implement measures to enhance road safety for these endangered creatures. In other countries, protective measures such as road fencing and the construction of wide overpasses in natural habitats have been adopted to ensure the safe passage of animals.

However, Iranian officials cite a lack of budget for erecting fences or installing speed cameras in the main habitat of the Asiatic cheetah. Akbari underscored the urgency of addressing the challenges, stating, "Given the natural and human-related dangers, such as road accidents, we have very limited time to rescue the cheetah from the brink of extinction, and it does not seem that we have more than four to five years to preserve the valuable species."

Akbari also warned that any delay in reinforcing habitat protection or enhancing prey populations would significantly reduce the chances of saving the cheetah from extinction.

Once dispersed across vast areas of Asia, the Iranian cheetah is now listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as a species on the brink of extinction, confined to remote regions in central Iran. Despite ongoing efforts to protect this endangered species, concerns about the Asiatic cheetah's extinction have escalated.