TEHRAN – The ‘National Cheetah Day’ is celebrated annually on August 31 to raise awareness about the significance of safeguarding and increasing the existing population of Asiatic cheetahs in the country.

Once roaming vast plains from West Asia into India, the Asiatic cheetah is now found only in Iran. Since 2001, around 85 cheetahs have died because of human-related factors, indicating we have posed a greater threat to their survival than nature.

Listed as one of the most critically endangered big cats in the world, saving the Asiatic cheetah from extinction has turned into a shared responsibility.

The latest report by the Department of Environment (DOE) has shown that there are 26 Asiatic cheetahs in the country, with 20 individuals living in the wild, and six in captivity.

According to the head of the DOE, Shina Ansari, the extinction of the world’s rarest cat has become a symbol of our challenges and responsibilities towards Iran’s nature.

Preserving cheetahs is not merely an environmental concern. It is a symbol of the country’s ecosystem’s health, a life-balance preserver. Protecting the cheetah means ensuring the right to life for people and nature.

The DOE makes its best efforts to preserve endangered animals. However, the goal will be fulfilled only by the participation and involvement of people, media, responsible institutions, and nature lovers.

Relocating domestic animals from cheetah habitats, 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.

Also, the DOE is following up on the allocation of two trillion rials (around 2 million dollars) to decrease cheetah 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.

According to the latest report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), some 154 species of Iranian vertebrates are critically endangered of extinction.

In May, President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an order, obligating the DOE to develop a strategic plan to preserve endangered species in the country.

The DOE has already developed action plans for the conservation of 25 endangered species, and the plans are being implemented in the country. It is also planning to organize a committee for the preservation of critically endangered species, including cheetahs, black bears, and great bustards.

Currently, about 128 species of animals and vertebrates in the country are at risk of extinction, some of which are not in good condition, and amphibians are the most vulnerable in this area. Persian zebra, Asiatic cheetah, black bear, and yellow deer are in danger of extinction.

A comprehensive and operational plan in the field of the environment is needed to cover different environmental sectors. It must include goals, assumptions, operational measures, financial resources, and results.

MT/MG