Although still on the agenda, the plan to recover the Caspian tiger from extinction is hardly attainable largely due to the changes in the natural areas that were once home to the big cat.
The species of tiger once roamed the northern forests of Iran but is believed to have completely died out as no traces have been found in half a century, IRNA reported.
Caspian tigers lived in coastal forests which were later replaced by farmlands thanks to the growth in human populations. With the loss of their habitat, the remaining animals retreated toward highlands where they faced a grim fate again and were exposed to hunting.
Reportedly, the last animal was hunted in the 1950s in the present-day Golestan National Park and no Caspian tiger has been spotted in the area ever since.
Excessive hunting, destruction of habitat, lack of prey and climate change are said to have combined to cause its extinction.
Today, all that has remained of the majestic creature is a painting and two tiger skins, one kept in Darabad Museum of Nature and Wildlife and the other in Tehran Biodiversity Museum.
However, in 2009, a group of scientists claimed that the Caspian tiger has a close genetic affinity with the Siberian Tiger making it possible to revive the species.
The Department of Environment soon placed it on the agenda and created a site in Miankaleh peninsula and a quarantine space in the Semeskandeh wildlife refuge both in Mazandaran Province.
After negotiations with Russia, two Siberian tigers were swapped for two Persian leopards so as to initiate the breeding scheme.
Sadly, the male tiger died of glanders and the female was transferred to Tehran’s Eram Zoo after being quarantined for a long time on suspicion of the disease.
Besides lack of proper management, experts attributed the failure of the plan to the absence of adequate feasibility studies and research into the reasons of the tiger’s extinction in the first place.
Still on Agenda
Nevertheless, the sites are still in place and the project seems to have remained on DOE’s agenda, although as a second priority to the comprehensive plan to protect the country’s cat species.
Speaking to IRNA on the occasion of the International Tiger Day (July 29), Majid Kharrazian Moqaddam, head of Wildlife and Biodiversity Office at DOE, said feasibility studies for the revival of the Caspian tiger as well as the Asiatic lion are to be carried out along with a scheme to protect eight cat species of Iran.
“The plan is of very low priority because scientifically, restoration of habitats is a basic prerequisite … Iran is very unlikely to have suitable habitats for tigers and lions any longer,” he said, adding that the option of captive breeding for tiger and lion will also be studied alongside the plan.
According to him, a “scheme to protect Iran’s cats” which would also include the revival of the extinct ones will soon be prepared and sent to the Plan and Budget Organization.
Not Feasible
Kouros Rabiei, head of Mazandaran’s DOE office, believes that before embarking on such a project, it is essential to identify the exact reasons for the extinction as well as the capability of the species to survive in today’s climatic conditions.
“It should first be clarified whether the cat that lived in the old days of Mazandaran’s forests is able to adapt itself to the changes in the climate and ecosystem of the region,” he said.
He noted that the plan seems far-fetched and even if practical, it would only be possible in a wildlife reserve, especially given the lack of sufficient sources of food for the animal in Mazandaran’s forests.
Rabiei suggested that the existing sites that are now abandoned had better be used to breed other cat species.
International Day
Out of nine subspecies of tigers in the world, three have so far died out, including the Caspian, Bali and Javan tigers.
With tiger populations disappearing fast around the world, July 20 was designated as the global tiger day by the international community in 2010 to raise public awareness for conservation of the beautiful animal.
Although Iran has lost its tigers and lions and is very unlikely to have them back again, it is still home to eight species of cats including two big ones, namely the Asiatic Cheetah and Persian Leopard, and other smaller ones including sand cat, caracal and jungle cat.
A comprehensive guide titled “Cats in Iran” detailing key information on 10 living and extinct cat species in Iran was published last year. It outlines the distribution, habitats, threats, conservation status, protective measures and management strategies for each species.
