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  Naybandan Youths Joined to Save the Iranian Cheetah

Naybandan, Nov 25, 2003- Youths in the main village of Naybandan Wildlife Refuge have joined the fight to save the Iranian cheetah and its habitat.

Participated in one-day class as "A Rare Creature Lives in Our Vicinity", 57 youths learned about the Iranian cheetah, particularly inside its main habitat of Naybandan Wildlife Refuge.

The youths attended in a cheetah class in where they could learn about the characteristic of the cheetah, its ecological role and the necessity of conserving it in the wild. They could see the cheetah position on the ecological pyramid and potential fields of conflict between the cheetah and the human. Meanwhile, they could participate in several cheetah quizzes prepared by ICS Educational Section and win cheetah toys. Finally, all the young villagers became member of Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS) for closer interaction to save the cheetahs in the area.

Naybandan Wildlife Refuge with 1.5 million ha area as the largest reserve in the country holds the highest population of the Iranian cheetah with a number of at least 15 individuals. The main human settlement of the area is Naybandan village which is located inside the area. Due to setting traps to catch game animals, 3 cheetahs have been targets to death over the past decade and ICS is working to increase public awareness through community-based educational and conservational programs.