Tag Archives: Iran

Iranian cheetah cubs, happy birthday!

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This video from Africa is called Cheetah Cubs Reunite with their Mother.

From Wildlife Extra:

Cheetah family still thriving in Iran – All three cubs have reached 1 year old

Cubs first recorded in summer of 2012

May 2013. A large family of Asiatic cheetahs has been photo-trapped in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge in north-eastern Iran. The group was photographed as part of ongoing intensive monitoring of the cheetahs of Miandasht Wildlife Refuge by camera trap.

The cheetah family consists of an adult female mother three adolescent cheetahs. At least two of the youngsters are males, but the third has not yet been positively labelled. The animals were recorded on several occasions while coming to water sources to drink.

Survived amongst livestock

This female cheetah now counts as an experienced mother or “super-mum”, having successfully raised all her three cubs to the age of one. Scientists are surprised how this large group survived among herds of livestock; some herders have traditional grazing rights within the area’s pastures in winter.

African cheetahs have very high infant mortality

All cheetahs face various challenges during their first year of life, decreasing their chance of survival. Intensive studies in Africa have revealed high juvenile mortality among cheetahs, sometimes as high as 95% before they become independent from mother (usually at about 17 months) in eastern Africa. However, the difficulty in locating and studying the Asiatic cheetahs has not allowed a proper investigation on their reproductive ecology in Iran.

Increase in prey

The successful raising of all three juveniles into their second year has been made possible by recent enhanced protection measures put in place by the Norkh Khorasan Department of Environment. Presently, gazelle population has reached to more than 600, twice population size of early 2000s. As a consequence, neighbouring reserves around Miandasht now should expect the cheetahs, as they will leave their mother in summer/autumn of 2013 to find new ranges. As Miandasht is close to the Turkmenistan border, trans-boundary dispersal is entirely plausible.

Camera trap off-season

After halting camera trapping during the winter 2012-2013 as the presence of livestock makes it impractical, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), Iranian Department of Environment, and Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) are re-establishing the monitoring program by means of equipping all of the areas water sources with digital camera traps in an effort to acquire proper shots of the young cheetahs in order to develop a national photo ID for each individual. These IDs will help scientists understand the cheetah’s ecology and movements.

The cheetah cubs were first seen in summer of 2012 – Click here to see more about the cheetah cubs in Iran.

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Good Iranian cheetah cubs news

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Iranian cheetah family

From Wildlife Extra:

Iran’s only known cheetah cubs still thriving

Three cubs will leave their mother soon

April 2013. The only confirmed Asiatic cheetah cubs in Iran in 2012 are still alive and are apparently thriving in Minadasht, north-eastern Iran. In early April 2013, an exceptionally large group of six cheetahs was seen and filmed by local people in the area. The group consisted of a mother with three adolescents and two other adults.

The quality of the film does not allow precise identification by spot comparison, however, the family is likely the same group caught by photo-trap in summer 2012. In early winter 2012-2013, they were watched by the game wardens from a distance for half an hour.

The cheetahs face various challenges during their first year of life, decreasing their chance of survival. Intensive studies in Africa have revealed high juvenile mortality among the cheetahs, even up-to 95% before reaching independence from mother (ca. 17 months) in eastern Africa. However, Asiatic cheetahs are extremely difficult to study which has made a proper investigation on their reproductive ecology in Iran impossible to conduct so far.

Every year, around 30 herds of livestock legally graze Miandasht’s rangelands during winter. We have evidence of this female for the two previous winters in the area and it is likely that she spent the entire winter there, remaining un-detected amongst the livestock. No report of cheetah sightings were reported in these two years during their winter presence in Maindasht.

Enhanced protection & gazelle population

However, successful rising of three juveniles to their second year has been possible due to recent enhanced protection measures put in place by the Norkh Khorasan Department of Environment. Presently, gazelle population has reached to more than 600, twice population size of early 2000s. In the meantime, neighbouring reserves around Miandasht now should expect to see the juvenile cheetahs soon, as they leave their mother in summer/autumn of 2013 and disperse to new ranges. As the area is close to the border with Turkmenistan, even trans-boundary dispersal is plausible.

Camera traps

After ceasing camera trapping during winter 2012-2013 due to presence of livestock, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) and DoE are re-establishing the monitoring program by means of equipping all the areas water sources with digital camera trap to catch proper shots of the young cheetahs in order to develop a national photo ID for each individual. These IDs would help scientists to understand if they would be photographed in the same or other areas.

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Canadian Conservatives support Bahrain dictatorship

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This video says about itself:

Maryam Al-Khawaja on the Struggle for Human Rights in Bahrain

Feb 13, 2013

2012 Freedom Award winner Maryam Al-Khawaja speaks about the oppressive conditions in Bahrain that led to the imprisonment of Nabeel Rajab and other activists, and about the struggle that her father, Abdulhadi and sister, Zainab have faced in the fight for democracy and human rights in Bahrain.

From the Chronicle Herald in Canada:

Baird, Bahrain and the bogus Iran excuse

April 7, 2013 – 8:42pm

Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird visited Bahrain during his extended tour of the Middle East.

When the so-called Arab Spring wave of unrest first began in 2011, Bahrain was one of a number of states rocked by protests and violence, with the large Shiite majority staging massive protests and demanding the ouster of the ruling Sunni monarchy.

Similar public demonstrations led to rapid regime changes in Egypt and Tunisia, while in Libya and Syria they morphed into bloody armed rebellions.

The western powers heralded the removal of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Tunisia’s Zine al-Abedine Ben Ali,

They ‘heralded’ it only after these two despotic allies of the USA, France, etc. had been driven away by the people. The vice president of the USA, Joseph Biden, denied that dictator Mubarak was a dictator and that he should resign, just before Mubarak resigned under the people’s mass pressure.

openly provided military aid to enable Libyan rebels to kill Moammar Gadhafi and, to this day, continue to provide assistance to the Syrian militias attempting to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

While we now know that these separate, but coincidental, revolutions had economic, religious, ethnic and tribal root causes, at the time, the pundits who dubbed this the Arab Spring sold it to us as the eruption of pro-democracy masses rising up against oppressive dictators.

Although this formula could have been applied to Bahrain, the protestations of the Shiite majority garnered almost no sympathy from the West. The reason for this is simple. Bahrain is a key U.S. ally and the country provides an important strategic naval base that supports the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

A successful Shiite-led regime change in Bahrain would certainly have jeopardized the cosy arrangement and would likely have drawn yet another Persian Gulf state into the Iranian sphere of influence.

To prevent this from happening, Bahraini security forces, assisted by troops from Saudi Arabia, were given a free hand in crushing the Shiite protesters.

An independent commission later confirmed that the Bahraini security forces had not only used excessive force, but also systemic torture in dealing with the crisis. To this day, human rights groups are claiming that Shiite activists are being detained and held under false pretences and, although largely unreported, there are still … demonstrations taking place in Bahrain.

Following his brief visit last week, Baird acknowledged to reporters that he had discussed these issues with his Bahraini counterparts.

“I commend [Bahrain] for their progress, but pushed them to make additional progress, and certainly offered Canadian support as they have that national dialogue,” said Baird.

Now, keep in mind that this is the same Baird who championed the Libyan rebels, urged them to continue the fight when a negotiated peace deal was in the offing and then staged a massive victory parade to celebrate the death of Gadhafi.

It is also the same Baird who initially met with the Syrian opposition leaders in exile and emerged barking, “Assad must go!”

Apparently, in Baird’s limited playbook, the use of martial force to oppress a majority is not wrong, so long as the oppressor is a key American ally.

And then, of course, there is always the “blame Iran” tactic. And, true to form, Baird used it to explain and/or excuse the Bahrainis for their use of extreme security measures.

“We should be very clear that Iran’s interference in some of its neighbours’ internal political affairs is something that’s distinctly unhelpful, and it is never motivated by good,” Baird told reporters.

Unfortunately for Baird, the independent commission that investigated the Bahraini crisis couldn’t find any direct link to the Iranian government.

Never mind, just throw it out there!

While it is true that Iran now exercises a lot of leverage with Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and is one of the few supporters of embattled Syrian President Assad’s government, the truth is that Iran certainly does not hold a monopoly on regional political meddling.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, two of the other countries Baird visited last week, have also been extensively linked to the rebel movements in Libya and Syria.

While NATO air power was able to effect the defeat of Gadhafi loyalists in just 10 months, the civil war in Syria is now into its 26th month.

As was the case in Libya, the arms embargo in Syria is largely one-sided, with the international community turning a blind eye to weapons furnished to anti-Assad forces.

The death toll in the Syrian conflict is estimated at more than 70,000 and as many as four million civilians are believed to have been internally displaced by the ongoing violence.

One could easily make the argument that Qatar’s and the emirates’ financial support of anti-Assad fighters amounts to interference in a neighbour’s internal political affairs.

But Baird does not chastise them for that. It’s far easier just to blame Iran for doing the same thing.

Scott Taylor is editor of Esprit de Corps magazine.

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Iran cheetahs update

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Three cheetah cubs were photographed in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge in Iran in September 2012

From Wildlife Extra:

Just 20 individual cheetahs identified in Iran so far, including 6 surviving females

More areas left to be surveyed

March 2013. Based on recent camera trapping surveys in Iran, just 20 different Asiatic cheetahs have been identified in the country. Initiated in late 2011, the first comprehensive national population survey has been implemented by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) and Iranian Department of Environment (DoE) in partnership with Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Panthera.

Around half of the country’s known cheetah population exist in central province of Yazd with multiple reserves for the species, while rest of the cheetahs roam areas such as Miandasht, Kavir, Turan & Doruneh amongst.

The Asiatic cheetah has attracted intensive attention of national and international scientific communities who are studying various aspects of its life, particularly its population size. However, so far, no precise and accurate estimate of the species population was available, making assessment of conservation measures difficult, or even impossible.

Camera traps

Camera traps have been proposed as a useful way to estimate their numbers, based on other large cat research. However, due to lack of necessary equipment and funding, limited scientific training and absence of an experienced team of trained field biologists, this technique has rarely been applied to the Critically Endangered Asiatic cheetahs.

200 images revealed 20 cheetah – More work to be done

So far, the ICS has covered nine reserves where the cheetahs are known to exist and simultaneously, Plan4Land Society covered Turan, another of the cheetah reserves. On the basis of analysis of more than 200 images of the cheetahs, 20 different individuals have been identified. However, due to resource constraints, there are still vast landscapes where camera traps had no chance to cover, indicating that a proportion of the country’s cheetah population has remained non-detected.

Iran’s National Cheetah Monitoring Program research has revealed that the Asiatic cheetah population is so tiny and fragile, it necessitates immediate action to safeguard the species and its habitat.

Just 7 females – 1 killed by shepherds

In 2013, the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) targeted its mission to specifically monitor females. Out of only seven female cheetahs detected so far, one was killed by shepherds in Turan and only one of the rest was proved to have cubs. In order to evaluate reproductive status of the females, their areas will be intensively surveyed to find evidence of breeding to inform later conservation actions.

The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) is grateful to many organizations who contributed to this program. Special thanks go to Iranian Department of Environment (DoE), Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP), Panthera, La Palmyre Zoo, Amersfoort Zoo, Stichting SPOTS, WWF, Conservation des Espèces et des Populations Animales, Parc des Felins, Prince Bernhard Fund for Nature and many individual donors who supported us during this period. Also, we should say a big thank you to many game guards and local experts who all passionately participated in this long effort. Last but not least, the ICS experts and volunteers who spent more than 15 months in the field to run the project and to analyse the data which all are highly appreciated.

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Iranian leopard news

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This video is called In the Balance: The Caucasus Leopard.

From Wildlife Extra:

Old leopard still roaming Iran

Leopard was first seen in 2004

February 2013. Recent camera trapping in central Iran indicates that an old Persian leopard roams in Bafq Protected Area; the cat is estimated to be at least 12 to 14 years. This adult male was first recorded by camera traps in late 2004, and he was a prime individual at that time. Later, he was photo-trapped regularly and he was the main star in occasional encounters with game wardens and visitors, based on spot patterns comparison. In 2007, he was equipped with GPS collar for six months by CACP, WCS and Panthera, which revealed that he covered most of this 850 square kilometre reserve.

In 2012, the animal was still a dominant male who ranged across most of the reserve, indicating that he is the oldest ever identified Persian leopard in the wild. Large cats normally live no longer than 10 years in the wild, despite their significantly longer lifespan in captivity (sometimes up-to 25 years). Bafq Protected Area which is one of the main hotspots for the Persian leopard in central Iran, is threatened by a proposed road which is planned to pass through the heart of the area.

Read more about the work of The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) here.

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Cheetah in the snow, video

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This video is called Asiatic Cheetah marking territory in snow – Iranian Cheetah Society.

From Wildlife Extra:

Cheetahs in snow? See the video

Where is the only place on earth where you can see cheetahs in snow?

January 2013. Many people are surprised to learn that there is a population of cheetah in Iran at all. They are the last surviving remnant of the Asiatic cheetah race. Once distributed from the Indian subcontinent across Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Iran to the Arabian Peninsula and Syria, the Asiatic cheetah is now on the verge of extinction and one of the most endangered members of the cat family in the world.

The last survivng cheetahs in Iran mostly live in the semi arid and mountainous northern regions, where there are regular snow falls in winter months.

The last cheetahs in India were shot in 1947. Since then, the Asiatic cheetah has disappeared from most of its former range. In the last 20 years, Iran has been the final stronghold for the Asiatic cheetah, known in Iran as yuz, although there have been occasional reports of cheetahs in Pakistan & Kazakhstan.

According to the latest population surveys in Iran, the cheetah population in Iran does not exceed 70 individuals. There has been some recent controversy in Iran about the cheetah population of Iran, and it has been extensively discussed in the media. On the basis of recent camera trapping efforts ongoing since last winter by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) in collaboration with Iranian Department of Environment (DoE), Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) and Panthera, the most robust conclusion for the population is fewer than 70.

Namibia: Cheetah Conservation Message Goes to Schools: here.

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Iranian leopards threatened by road plans

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This video is called Caucasian (Persian) Leopard.

From Wildlife Extra:

Eleven leopards identified on proposed road route in Iran

Bafq Protected Area under threat from new road

January 2013. During a one year monitoring program in Bafq Protected Area in central Iran, eleven Persian leopards were identified, including four males and four females, and two of them are accompanied by one single and one set of twin cubs. Moreover, one of single females was filmed accompanied by an adult male which can be indication of breeding of the third female in the population.

Launched in January 2012, a one year camera trapping program was implemented by the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) and Yazd Department of Environment in partnership with (Asiatic Cheetah Project) CACP and Panthera to understand the population make up of the Asiatic cheetah and the Persian leopard across multiple reserves in central Iran, including Bafq.

It is unusual to record two different families of the leopards in a single area in west Asia, and this suggests the high potential of Bafq to re-colonize surrounding habitats, if they are properly protected. According to recent information, the female with two cubs has successfully raised her cubs and they have now left her and become independent; her last image shows that she is now solitary, probably looking around to find a mate for the next year. Moreover, both of her independent offspring have been confirmed to be female, making 6 female leopards in a single reserve, assuming that all four of the other females are still alive.

Bad news

Recently one of the Bafq Governor’s Office authorities declared that the area does not merit protection, stating “We believe that with no more than two leopards and 6 cheetahs, Bafq Protected Area does not have high environmental importance to continue its protection as a reserve”. However these investigations have revealed that the largest single population of the endangered Persian leopard in central Iran occurs in Bafq, and it is unusual to find six females in a similar sized area elsewhere in west Asia.

Bafq protected area – Under threat

Established in 1996, the 850 km2 Bafq Protected Area is one of the main habitats for various cats in Iran, but it is under severe threat from plans to construct a road through the area. The Iranian Cheetah Society, Yazd DoE and Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) are negotiating with communities and authorities over this potential threat, and huge media coverage has been brought to stop the road. Undoubtedly, the Bafq road is nowadays the largest concern for Iranian environmentalists for the survival of the Asiatic cheetahs and Persian leopards.

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British colonial bases for war against Iran?

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This video says about itself:

6 August 2007

Chagossian refugees are appealing to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to make a decision on their right to return to their islands.

They were expelled four decades ago by Britain from their tropical archipelago. This happened during the Cold War to make way for a U.S. military base on the island of Diego Garcia. The base has since been used for military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In May, Britain’s High Court dismissed an appeal by the Foreign Office against the Chagossians’ return, saying the right to go home was “one of the most fundamental liberties known to human beings”.

Jacques Aristide takes a closer look at the Chagossians’ struggle to go back to their homeland.

By Peter Symonds:

US sought use of British bases for war against Iran

27 October 2012

The British-based Guardian newspaper reported Thursday that American diplomats have been lobbying Britain for the use of its military bases on Cyprus as well as US bases on the British territories of Ascension Island in the Atlantic and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in preparation for war on Iran.

The US request points to a massive military buildup against Iran. The Pentagon has already stationed two aircraft carrier battle groups in or near the Persian Gulf, along with additional minesweepers and a specialised floating base that could be used to launch special forces operations inside Iran. A squadron of advanced F-22 fighters has also been moved to the region.

Access to the bases on Cyprus, Ascension Island and Diego Garcia would significantly boost the ability of the US air force to wage round-the-clock strikes against Iran.

The British government has, to date, rebuffed the Pentagon, significantly pointing out that an unprovoked US attack on Iran could be illegal under international law, as Tehran did not currently represent “a clear and present threat”.

British officials have cited advice drafted by the attorney general’s office that has been circulated to the Prime Minister’s office, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence. A senior government official told the Guardian: “The UK could be in breach of international law if it facilitated what amounted to a pre-emptive strike on Iran. It is explicit.”

Like the US-led illegal invasion of Iraq, the Obama administration is preparing to launch a war of aggression against Iran. This was the chief crime for which Nazi leaders were tried and convicted at Nuremberg following World War II.

That Iran is not “a clear and present threat” also punctures the steady buildup of propaganda in the US and international media about the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran.

WikiLeaks reveals how West’s Iran war drive was undermined: here.

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Good Iranian cheetah news

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This video is called Cheetah vs lion – BBC wildlife.

From Wildlife Extra:

Fantastic camera trap photos of three cheetah cubs in Iran

Protection of prey paying dividends for Iran’s cheetahs

September 2012. A family of Asiatic cheetahs has been photo-trapped for the first time in north-eastern Iran. During an ongoing intensive monitoring of the cheetahs by means of camera traps in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, an adult cheetah with her three small cubs was photographed. The animals were recorded on several occasions while coming to water sources to drink. No older than three months, the cheetah cubs, still with their mantle which is typical of small cheetah cubs, look very healthy.

In August 2010, another family of the cheetahs, two cubs with their mother, was sighted in this area. These photos of another family in north-eastern Iran highlight the area’s high importance for [the] breeding of the cheetahs.

Near Turkmenistan border

These animals, which were spotted not far from [the] Turkmenistan border, have raised scientists’ hopes to find more evidence of the Asiatic cheetahs within their historical range outside Iran. Since 1982, the last time cheetahs were officially reported in Turkmenistan, no cheetah has been confirmed across its Asian range outside of Iran.

Iranian cheetahs usually raise 2 cubs

In Iran, the cheetahs normally have two cubs, though there are cases in which litters of more than two are born, they are not usually successfully raised beyond six months. Although this is not unusual in cheetahs (In Africa, they occasionally produce as many as 5-6 cubs, but only very rarely will all the cubs survive), it is a concern, with cheetah being so rare in Iran, that not all the cubs will survive.

Increased protection of prey

After cheetah prey was heavily depleted in the early 2000s, a much higher level of protection was implemented in recent years after cheetahs were spotted in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge. Since then, cheetahs have been sighted more than 50 times in the area. However, camera traps have, until now, recorded solitary individuals. Six other carnivores have also been recorded in this area, including grey wolf, striped hyena, golden jackal, common fox, wild cat and stone marten.

Presently, the area is managed by the North Khorasan Department of Environment in an effort to protect the cheetahs and their prey, goitered or Persian gazelle, numbers of which have increased dramatically in recent years, by some 100% compared to a decade ago. Educational programs have been regularly implemented within communities around the area.

Cheetah ID

Camera traps are important monitoring tool, enabling scientists to find evidence of species presence and to explore how many cheetahs exist, based on their individuall i.e. spot patterns. Moreover, they indicate the size and health of the breeding population. Meanwhile, they provide opportunities for experts and game wardens to explore and monitor more remote portions of the area, to patrol different parts and of course, to control poaching.

Recent camera trapping program in Iran has revealed that the cheetah population is smaller than was previously thought.

Read more about the work of The Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) here.

Cheetah’s speed secrets are revealed: here.

ScienceDaily (Sep. 20, 2012) — Feral cats in Northern California have enabled researchers to unlock the biological secret behind a rare, striped cheetah found only in sub-Saharan Africa, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the National Cancer Institute and HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama. The study is the first to identify a molecular basis of coat patterning in mammals: here.