TEHRAN – With an estimated number of less than 30 Asiatic cheetahs remaining in Iran, the head of the Department of Environment (DOE), Shina Ansari, has expressed hope yet worry about the animal’s survival in the country, being pushed to the brink of extinction.

“The extinction of the world's rarest cat has become a symbol of our challenges and responsibilities towards Iran’s nature,” IRIB quoted Ansari as saying.

Referring to the low population of cheetahs in Asia, the official said, “Once roaming through vast plains from West Asia into India, the Asiatic cheetah only exists in Iran now, with a population of less than 30 individuals. Since 2001, around 85 cheetahs have died because of human-related factors, indicating we have posed a greater threat to their survival than nature.”

The DOE makes its best efforts to preserve endangered animals not just in words but by taking action in nature. However, the goal will be fulfilled only by the participation and involvement of people, media, responsible institutions, and nature lovers.

“Preserving cheetahs is not merely an environmental concern, it reflects our attitude towards development, foresight, and national responsibility. It is a symbol of the country’s ecosystem’s health, a life-balance preserver. Preserving cheetah means ensuring the right to life for people and nature,” the official highlighted.

Don’t lose hope

Relocating domestic animals from habitats of cheetahs, fencing the Tehran-Mashhad road, which is one of the most dangerous areas, and breeding in captivity are among the most recent measures the DOE has been taking to preserve cheetahs,” IRNA quoted Hamid Zohrabi, an official with the DOE, as saying in January.

These plans mainly focus on threat removal. During these years, domestic animals have been removed from an area of 150,000 hectares, including Golestan National Park as well as the wildlife sanctuary in the area, Zohrabi added.

The DOE is following up on the allocation of two trillion rials (around 2.4 million dollars) to decrease mortalities on the Tehran-Mashhad road through enhancing road lighting, reducing vehicle speeds, and fencing.

Drones and other wildlife monitoring tools can also be used to conserve cheetahs in the area. However, more needs to be done to reach a favorable result, the official further noted.

“We do our best to safeguard cheetahs’ habitats, but to increase their population, the plan to breed in captivity is going on. We have already taken measures to standardize their breeding site in captivity with the help of the private sector, Zohrabi stressed.

The expansion of the cheetahs’ territory and safeguarding their habitats have increased the number of cheetahs, IRIB quoted Zohrabi as saying in November 2024.

Highlighting the key role of public participation in the conservation of Asiatic cheetahs, the official said over 400,000 hectares of land between Turan National Park in Semnan province and Miandasht Wildlife Refuge in North Khorasan province are protected by the private sector.

The plan to increase prey is being implemented by the cooperation of the DOE and local communities, he noted.