Iran, a female member of the extremely endangered Asiatic cheetah species, gave birth to three cubs in one of the last refuges for these big cats – increasing the over-all population of Asiatic cheetahs by 3%.
One would tend to think that the world’s fastest creature can only be found in Africa, but that’s not the case. While 4 out of the 5 subspecies of cheetahs can only be found in Africa, the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) derived from African populations between 32,000 and 67,000 years ago, and went on to be the only surviving cheetah species in Asia.
In the not so-distant past, Asiatic cheetah populations ranged all the way to the Middle-East and India. However, the sad reality is that the last cheetahs in India were shot in 1947, and currently the species only survives in Iran, where their numbers have also drastically declined due to poaching, car accidents, and drought. At the beginning of 2022, the Iranian Department of Environment estimated that only 12 Asiatic cheetahs are left in the country.
In 2001, with the support of the United Nations, Iran started a protection program that aims to conserve the critically endangered Asiatic cheetahs. After 21 years, it looks like the program has paid off: at the beginning of May 2022, Iran has reported the birth of 3 Asiatic cheetahs. This also marks the first time that members of the highly-endangered species were born in captivity.
The mother, also called Iran, delivered the cubs by C-section at the Touran Wildlife Refuge in the Semnan province east of Tehran. Unfortunately, one of the cubs who was weaker than the others lost its life shortly after being born. At the moment, Iran and her two other babies are being monitored in intensive care to ensure their healthy development, and experts from various countries are in contact with the team at the wildlife sanctuary.
Veterinarians decided to perform Cesarean delivery because of doubts that arose as to whether the babies could have been delivered naturally. Luckily, Iran handled the birth well, and she was even seen hunting just a few days after giving birth.
“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”, said Ali Salajegh, chief of the Department of Environment.
The keepers of the newborn cheetahs released video footage of the cubs, which shows the little ones in their bed, mewing for their mom. The reason why the newborns aren’t with their mom, is because Iran hasn’t accepted her babies yet.
For critically endangered species, captive breeding can offer a last chance. But ultimately, the success of these programs always depends on whether the individuals are able to survive on their own when being introduced to the wild. So, it’s very important to ensure a safe habitat after their release, and to teach these animals the necessary skills to survive in the wild.
There are many species, however, that were able dodge extinction with the help of breeding programs. Take the Arabian oryx, for example, that was almost hunted to extinction; or the California condor, that was reintroduced to its natural habitat after it got extinct in the wild; or the black footed ferret, one of the most endangered, and fragile mammals out there, who have survived thanks to a breeding program.
Hopefully, the success of breeding programs will continue, and maybe we can see the Asiatic cheetah thrive again. As well as many other animal species on the verge of extinction.
source: earthlymission.com
