Iran welcomes first birth of Asiatic cheetah in captivity
AN ASIATIC cheetah gave birth to three “healthy” cubs in Iran, the head of the environment department said yesterday, calling it a first in captivity for the endangered species.
The cheetah, which is named Iran and is one of only a dozen in the Islamic republic, delivered three healthy cubs by caesarean, Ali Salajegheh told IRNA news agency.
He added: “This is the first birth of an Asiatic cheetah in captivity. By preserving these cubs, we can increase the cheetah population in captivity and then in semi-captivity.”
The cubs were born in the Touran Wildlife Refuge, a national park in the Semnan province, east of Tehran, the country’s capital,
The mother and its babies are being monitored in intensive care.
Iran is one of the last countries in the world where the Asiatic cheetahs live in the wild and it began a United Nationssupported protection scheme in 2001.
The subspecies Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, commonly known as the Asiatic cheetah, is critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In January, Hassan Akbari, deputy environment minister, said Iran is home to only a dozen Asiatic cheetahs – down from an estimated 100 in 2010.
Their situation “is extremely critical”, Mr Akbari said at the time, adding that
the animals have been victims of drought, hunters and car accidents.
The world’s fastest land animal, capable of reaching speeds of 120km (74 miles) per hour, cheetahs once stalked habitats from the eastern reaches of India to the Atlantic coast of Senegal and beyond.
They are still found in parts of southern Africa, but have practically disappeared from North Africa and Asia.