Safe Passage Project for the Asiatic Cheetah

Project Overview

Thirteen Asiatic cheetahs have died from collisions with vehicles on the Tehran-Mashhad road, while fewer than 30 remain in the world. The lack of safety on this road in the Abbas Abad area is currently the most critical threat to the cheetah’s survival in Iran. Without immediate action to secure this route, the last remaining cheetahs in Iran will be lost. The only area where female cheetahs still live is in the Turan National Park, adjacent to this road. Any moment, these cheetahs could be killed by vehicles, leading to the certain extinction of the species in Iran.

Project Goals

The “Safe Passage Project for the Cheetah” aims to secure the Miami-Abbas Abad road for the safe crossing of the Asiatic cheetah. This project was initiated following the death of the third Asiatic cheetah in less than 11 months due to road accidents on the Miami-Abbas Abad highway. The project is a collaboration between four organizations: AvayeBoom Bird Conservation Society, Nazre Tabiat NGO, Nature Sustainable Future Institute, and the Iranian Cheetah Society.

Although AvayeBoom primarily focuses on bird conservation, they have joined this project due to the critical status of the cheetah, a flagship species in many of Iran’s central habitats.

Project Priorities

The priorities for road safety measures are based on two key documents: “Priorities for Reducing Road Accidents Involving the Asiatic Cheetah” and “Review of Studies on Reducing Wildlife Road Accidents.” These documents were written and continuously updated by project stakeholders in 2022 and 2023.

Safety Measures

Fencing and Optimizing Culverts: Based on international experiences, domestic studies, and expert opinions, the first priority is to install fencing and optimize existing culverts to make them usable for the Asiatic cheetah.
Lighting and Speed Reduction: The next step involves providing adequate lighting and reducing the speed limit to 80 km/h.
Additional Measures: Other measures, such as warning signs, have been considered but are not currently part of the project’s immediate plans.

Contact Information

For more information, you can contact the project coordinator via email at GozargaheYuz@gmail.com.