The cheetah is symbolic of the African wilderness. However, once upon a time, the world’s fastest mammal, used to roam the plains of Asia, with their range extending from the Middle East across to northern parts of India. Unfortunately, the Asiatic Cheetah subspecies is now considered “Critically Endangered” by the IUCN Red List. Reports estimate, that there are less than 40 individuals left in the wild, with their entire range being restricted to the eastern-central arid region of Iran. The species has fallen victim to the rampant destruction of their grassland habitat and human-wildlife conflict. Additionally, hunting of the Asiatic Cheetah significantly reduced the wild population. Other than being hunted for the illegal wildlife trade, cheetahs were also hunted as a sport, particularly during the Mughal Empire.
In this episode, I speak to Morteza Pourmirzai who is the CEO of the Iranian Cheetah Society. We talk in-depth about the organization’s extensive conservation efforts, challenges, and future plans. We also talk about the work the organization is doing with the other four major carnivores found in Iran, which are the gray wolf, Eurasian lynx, Persian leopard and brown bear.
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