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Studies of the Asiatic Cheetah in Iran
 In the late 1990s, the Islamic Republic of Iran became very concerned about environmental degradation and conservation of its wildlife, including the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah. Before this time, there were few initiatives to protect habitat and wildlife populations in the country. Iran considers the cheetah an important part of its natural and cultural heritage and the cheetah has become a symbol of conservation efforts in Iran.
During a visit to Iran by Dr. George Schaller in November 2000, the Iranian Department of Environment (DoE) suggested that WCS participate in a newly initiated cheetah conservation program. Dr. Tim O'Brien and George Schaller returned in the fall of 200l to determine the best methods to census the Asiatic cheetah and its prey, and to become familiar with conservation issues in the area. They held a workshop with local reserve staff on field techniques, such as proper record keeping and camera trap methods. Tim returned in 2002 and 2003 to set up and monitor camera traps. At the same time, Dr. Eric Sanderson, of the WCS Living Landscapes program, worked with Iranian counterparts on establishing a cheetah data base and a GIS landscape program to define cheetah habitat.
In early 2004, Dr. Luke Hunter, Coordinator of the WCS Great Cats Program, with George Schaller, spent a month visiting Iran to find a suitable sight to carry out telemetry of the Asiatic cheetah. The Bafgh Protected Area was selected for intensive work because prey species occur at relatively high densities and cheetah sightings appear to be frequent and occur year round. Bafgh is also home to leopards and striped hyenas; therefore this sight is ideal for studying the entire carnivore community.
WCS has finally secured US government permission to proceed with our proposal to undertake  the first ever telemetry study of the last remaining Asiatic cheetahs and other large carnivores in collaboration with the DoE. It will be the first detailed ecological study of cheetahs in Asia, and will furnish critical information to make very specific recommendations for the future conservation planning of this critically endangered population. It also represents one of the very few telemetry studies conducted in the country since the Iranian Revolution. There is currently no radio-telemetry research active in the country; this will be the only major research effort of its type and will be a unique opportunity for Iranian biologists and students to acquire training and expertise in conducting such a project.
The Asiatic cheetah’s range is restricted to the Central Iranian Plateau, with an estimated population of 60 adult cheetahs remaining. The main threat to the Asiatic cheetah is loss of their primary prey species, gebeer gazelle (Gazella dorcas), goitered gazelle (Gazella subgothrosa), urial sheep (Ovis orientalis) and wild goat (Capra aegagrus), due to poaching and grazing competition with domestic livestock. Habitat loss from mining development and poaching of cheetahs also threaten their populations in Iran. WCS and the DoE hope to begin collaring Asiatic cheetahs in the fall of 2006.
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