TEHRAN – Kaveh-Deh, a hunting prohibited region in northeastern Tehran, has been defined as a protected area, being included in the Department of Environment (DOE) list, Fars news agency reported on Sunday.

In Iran, areas protected by the Department of Environment cover 8.2 million hectares which fall into four categories: national parks (11 sites), wildlife refuges (25 sites), protected areas (47 sites), and national nature monuments (5 sites).

Any interference with the protected areas is subject to special regulations, and the DOE is the responsible body which has absolute authority over all of the related organizations.

Kaveh-Deh stretching to 90,000 hectares is located in Firouzkuh county, northeastern part of the capital, which awaited an inclusion in the DOE list as a protected area for 18 years.
It is home to over 40 percent of Tehran wildlife species, in addition to being considered as an important corridor for wildlife migration between the provinces of Mazandaran, Tehran and

Semnan, Kioumars Kalantari, Tehran province’s DOE chief said.

Since 17 years ago, it has been proposed to be a hunting prohibited area, which has finally been approved 7 years later, and after 18 years it is defined as a protected area, he added.

Kaveh-Deh has a significant vegetation diversity and vertebrates in the area are also biodiverse, Kalantari stated.

It also holds a great share of valuable species such as leopards, bears, red sheep, wild goat, corsac fox, and also bird species of Caspian snowcock, bearded vulture, as well as marine species of brown trout which classified as threatened or endangered, he explained.

The frequent observation and population estimation of the Persian leopard in the area through camera traps in the past years, indicates that the area needs to be protected appropriately, he also noted.

Currently, there are 2 monitoring stations in the region, which will increase to 4 after being named a protected area, he concluded.

FB/MG