TEHRAN – Twenty-seven Asiatic cheetahs have been spotted so far in wildlife reserves across the country, an official with the Department of Environment (DOE) has stated.

The whole number of Asiatic cheetahs in the country’s protected areas amounts to 27, with five other cheetahs living in breeding sites, and six in captivity, IRIB quoted Baqer Nezami as saying.

In September 2025, the DOE resumed the implementation of the national project to protect Asiatic cheetahs after a six-year hiatus.

One of the measures taken has been to focus on the cheetah’s surrounding habitats so that these habitats can be preserved with public participation, ISNA quoted Hamid Zohrabi, an official with the DOE, as saying.

In recent months, in addition to South Khorasan province, Asiatic cheetahs have been spotted in North Khorasan after several years, indicating the existence of a dynamic and active population, and the connection between ecosystems has been strengthened by a process in which conservation activities probably played a role. The cheetah is finding new habitats and spreading into them, Zohrabi explained.

In addition, special focus has been placed on recruiting rangers for all provinces where the Asiatic cheetah is found, he added.

“We have made arrangements with regional countries and other countries interested in working in this area, such as India. We are carrying out joint work with South Africa to protect the Asiatic cheetah.”

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.

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 1.5 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.

MT/MG