Iran+s national parks and protected areas are the only places that host the Asian cheetahs.

Senior zoologist, Esmail Kahrom, believes collecting data about the camouflaged species is a very difficult task, presstv.com reported.

“Visual sightings, cheetahs+ feces, recordings of surveillance cameras and observations from helicopters are among ways used to estimate their numbers,“ he said.  

Kahrom, who is also the former director of Iran+s Wildlife Bureau, says the big cats roam in Touran National Park in northern Iran+s Semnan province, Bahadoran regions in Yazd province and Bahram Gour protected areas in the southern province of Fars.

The Asiatic cheetah is a rare and critically endangered subspecies of the cheetah found today only in Iran.

The zoologist believes the most successful way to sustain the Asiatic cheetah is by protecting their habitat.

“Getting sheep and other domesticated animals out of their habitats is the first step in saving the Asiatic cheetah. By removing the sheep from the area, enough food will be available for the antelope, which can mate more often and provide more food for the cheetahs,“ he said.

Kahrom stressed that nature+s way is the best way to save the Asiatic cheetah.

“If they feel safe and are well-fed in their habitat, they would definitely mate more often,“ he said.

The Asiatic cheetah and the Persian leopard are the only remaining species of large cats in Iran, having reached the brink of extinction.

The interest of younger generation in wildlife in general and cheetahs in particular helps boost conservation activities.