Iran Seeks to Save Rare Cheetahs

[H5N1]

"As a species the cheetah is still in dire straits in Iran, so it is extremely encouraging to see an apparently healthy family in their native habitat," said Dr. Peter Zahler, assistant director for WCS's Asia programs. "Images like these give hope to conservationists that there is still time to save these magnificent animals."

Biodiversity expert Parviz Bakhtiyari said hundreds of volunteers have helped search for cheetahs and prey species and installed camera traps in several wildlife refuge regions in central Iran.

Asiatic cheetahs became extinct throughout much of the Middle East about 100 years ago, although they were spotted in Saudi Arabia until the 1950s. They vanished in India in 1947, while spotty records claim they ranged in Central Asia as far as Kazakhstan from the 1960s through 1980s.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050903/ap_on_sc/iran_cheetahs