One of the last Asian cheetahs has died in Iran

One of the last Asian cheetahs in the world died on Tuesday February 28 in Iran. “Pirouz, who had been admitted to the Central Veterinary Hospital [de Téhéran] for kidney failure on Thursday, died after undergoing dialysis”reported the official agency Irna. “We are very saddened by the loss of Pirouz and the failure of all efforts to save him”reacted the head of the hospital.

The young feline, whose name means “victorious” in Persian, had become a national pride since its birth in a refuge in eastern Iran in May 2022. The country is one of the last in the world where Asian cheetahs live in the wild. There are only a dozen representatives of this species left in Iran, which is in critical danger of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In 2001, Tehran launched a program to protect these felines, supported by the United Nations.

The cheetah is the fastest animal in the world and can reach a speed of 120 km/h. It is still found in parts of southern Africa, but has virtually disappeared from North Africa and Asia.