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06:30 PM » Working to Save the Endangered Iranian Cheetah

Despite political tensions between the governments of Iran and the U.S., scientists from both countries are working cooperatively to save the endangered Asiatic Cheetah. As a result of poaching, habitat degradation, and loss of prey species, the once-numerous animals have been reduced by some estimates to fewer than 100--making them one of the world’s most imperiled big cats.

A unique project is underway in Iran to capture six Asiatic cheetahs, fit them with compact GPS tracking collars, and release the animals back into their habitat. The data gleaned will provide vital understanding about corridors of movement that need to be protected.

The Felidae Conservation Fund, based in Belvedere, CA, is collaborating in the multi-national project, which is being led by the Bronx, NY-based Wildlife Conservation Society. Other partners are the Iranian Department of the Environment, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Zoological Society of London.

Local interest is strong, says Felidae’s executive director Zara McDonald. “Nearly 50,000 Iranian emigrés live in the Bay Area,” she says. “They’re passionate about their homeland. There’s a lot of excitement about this project.”

To support the Asiatic cheetah field work, Felidae Conservation Fund will host a fund-raiser on April 12, 2007, from 6:30 to 8:30pm at 209 Golden Gate Avenue in Belvedere.

Felidae’s mission is to prevent further extinction of felidae species, and to preserve complete ecosystems around the world. Felidae Conservation Fund is committed to spawning compelling educational messages through stories, visuals, and outreach campaigns that pilot a healthy coexistence of humans and felidae species around the world.

For more information on the fund-raiser and Felidae’s ongoing projects, contact Zara McDonald at (415) 250-0425.

zara@felidaefund.org

From: Zara McDonald <zara@felidaefund.org>