By Vania Raebel | October 7, 2019
Critically Endangered Species
The Asiatic Cheetah, also known as the Iranian Cheetah, is a critically endangered species found in Iran. They were also previously found in India, Pakistan, the Caspian region, the Kyzylkum Desert, and the Arabian Peninsula, but became locally extinct in these areas by the 20th century.
It is widely believed by experts that there are less than 50 Asiatic Cheetahs in the wild. They primarily live in protected areas in the eastern-central region of Iran, scattered in an expanse measuring around 140,000 square kilometers (or 54,000 square miles). There have been numerous conservation efforts to ensure their survival, and in 2014 Iran’s national football team wore jerseys imprinted with pictures of the Asiatic Cheetah to bring attention to this work.
