An Asiatic cheetah has been struck by a car on the Tehran-Mashhad road in the vicinity of Khartouran National Park, Semnan Province.
According to Ali Abbas Damangir, head of the provincial office of the Department of Environment, the 8-month-old male cub has been seriously injured in his spine.
"The animal was first transferred to Shahroud, the nearest city, to receive preliminary medical care before being taken to Tehran to receive the required medication and healthcare," Mehr News Agency quoted Damangir as saying.
Despite measures to protect the critically endangered animal, the species is still threatened by multiple factors, including the destruction of habitats, road construction, lack of prey and the intrusive presence of cattle and sheepdog among others.
Road accidents are among the main causes of the cheetah's mortality. To curb the problem, a plan was devised to build fences along the high-risk parts of roads going through their habitats (known as Abbasabad region).
A passing corridor is also planned to be built for the wild animals, in order not to split their habitat.
"Fortunately, implementation of the plan is currently underway in the region. May it be a relief to the challenging task of saving the precious big cat," Damangir said.
The Asiatic cheetah has only survived in Iran. Rough estimates indicate that there are around 50 of them left in Iranian plains today.
