<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" >

	<channel>
		<title>Conservation news</title>
		<atom:link href="https://news.mongabay.com/feed/?location=iran&#038;type=post" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/iran/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:36:49 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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	<url>https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/05/16160320/cropped-mongabay_icon-32x32.png</url>
	<title>Iran environmental news</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/iran/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>Can conservation change how the world sees the Strait of Hormuz? (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/can-conservation-change-how-the-world-sees-the-strait-of-hormuz-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/can-conservation-change-how-the-world-sees-the-strait-of-hormuz-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Jul 2026 15:37:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Iman Ebrahimi]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/09/13142321/Moray-eel-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=322992</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Iran, Kuwait, Middle East, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Coastal Ecosystems, Commentary, Conflict, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Estuaries, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Conservation, Oceans, Oil Spills, War, Water Pollution, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In recent months, the Strait of Hormuz has again been described in the language the world knows best: Oil, tankers, naval risk, energy security and war. That is understandable. Around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally move through this narrow passage between Iran and Oman. When Hormuz is threatened, markets react [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In recent months, the Strait of Hormuz has again been described in the language the world knows best: Oil, tankers, naval risk, energy security and war. That is understandable. Around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally move through this narrow passage between Iran and Oman. When Hormuz is threatened, markets react and governments calculate. But this is only one map of the strait. Conservation offers another. The Strait of Hormuz is not only an oil chokepoint. It is an ecological corridor: The narrow mouth through which the Persian Gulf exchanges water with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean, and through which islands, mangroves, seabird colonies, coral reefs, turtle nesting beaches and coastal communities are connected across borders. A pair of flamingos, Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Image courtesy of Maitha Bughanoom. This way of seeing Hormuz matters now because recent oil-related reports have not pointed to empty water. They have pointed toward real places: Shidvar, an uninhabited Ramsar island in Lavan, Iran, where damage to nearby oil infrastructure can quickly become a threat to a breeding ground for more than 80,000 terns each year; Qeshm and the Hara mangrove forests, the largest mangrove system in the Persian Gulf and also a Ramsar site; Kharg Island, and also small ports, fishing grounds and coastal waters where human life and wildlife are not easily separated. The full biological impact is still unclear but the geography already tells us enough: In the Persian Gulf,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/can-conservation-change-how-the-world-sees-the-strait-of-hormuz-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/can-conservation-change-how-the-world-sees-the-strait-of-hormuz-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-322992</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>War reveals the isolation of Iran’s scientists</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/war-reveals-the-isolation-of-irans-scientists/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/war-reveals-the-isolation-of-irans-scientists/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Jul 2026 18:39:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sharon Guynup]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/07/03153524/greater-flamingo-Phoenicopterus-roseus-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=322511</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Iran, and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conflict, Conservation, Culture, Environment, Finance, Funding, NGOs, Politics, Research, Science, and War]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The smiles on the faces of Iman Ebrahimi and his colleagues in the photograph are revealing: After more than a month of war in Iran, a tenuous ceasefire in mid-April offered a brief window for the team to travel to one of Ebrahimi’s favorite field sites. Maharloo Lake is the “hottest spot for flamingo breeding [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The smiles on the faces of Iman Ebrahimi and his colleagues in the photograph are revealing: After more than a month of war in Iran, a tenuous ceasefire in mid-April offered a brief window for the team to travel to one of Ebrahimi’s favorite field sites. Maharloo Lake is the “hottest spot for flamingo breeding in Iran,” he said excitedly on a video call during a rare period of stable internet early in the war. They saw “at least 5,000” greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) that day, he said, though there were probably more beyond the reach of their binoculars. “It was incredible.” A salt lake that tinges pink when summer heat shrinks its footprint, the lake was flush with water when they visited. “This is a very lovely place, but I&#8217;ve never seen Maharloo like this,” Ebrahimi said. The winter rains had been heavier than normal, to be sure, but he said he also suspects that agricultural and industrial activity, muted by the war, were drawing off less water from the lake — an unanticipated impact. Ebrahimi and his teammates from the NGO AvayeBoom Bird Conservation Society are doing their best to track the conflict’s effects on Iran’s environment. They’ve noticed, for example, shifts in bird aggregations, apparently moving away from areas that reverberate with airstrikes. But the war has also laid bare the damage caused by international sanctions imposed by the U.S., the EU and the U.N., along with other moves to cut Iran off from the rest of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/war-reveals-the-isolation-of-irans-scientists/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/07/war-reveals-the-isolation-of-irans-scientists/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-322511</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Arabian Gulf’s fragile marine ecosystem threatened by current crisis (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/arabian-gulfs-fragile-marine-ecosystem-threatened-by-current-crisis-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/arabian-gulfs-fragile-marine-ecosystem-threatened-by-current-crisis-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 May 2026 15:06:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Razan Al Mubarak]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/11143229/050A0598-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319117</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Abu Dhabi, Iran, Middle East, and Persian Gulf]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Coastal Ecosystems, Commentary, Conflict, Dugong, Ecosystems, Estuaries, Marine, Marine Animals, Oceans, Oil, Oil Spills, Pollution, Seabirds, War, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[At this time of year, the waters of the Arabian Gulf support one of the most significant gatherings of marine life anywhere in the world. Thousands of dugongs congregate in shallow coastal areas, including mother-and-calf pairs, dependent on the 3,000 square kilometers (well over 1,000 square miles) of seagrass meadows in Abu Dhabi waters. Along [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[At this time of year, the waters of the Arabian Gulf support one of the most significant gatherings of marine life anywhere in the world. Thousands of dugongs congregate in shallow coastal areas, including mother-and-calf pairs, dependent on the 3,000 square kilometers (well over 1,000 square miles) of seagrass meadows in Abu Dhabi waters. Along the same coastline, sea turtles return to nest, seabirds enter their breeding season, and migratory birds pass through wetlands that connect continents. Mangroves and coral reefs line these coasts. These ecosystems exist alongside the same coastal zones that support cities, energy and industrial infrastructure. They also underpin human life across the region. Tens of millions of people depend on desalination, drawing seawater from these same environments. Their survival, like ours, depends on clean water, intact habitats and stable environmental conditions. I have had the rare privilege, through my work, to witness these systems up close. Their richness is extraordinary, but so too is their fragility. The danger is that war turns that fragility into lasting damage. Indian Ocean humpback dolphin in Mangrove Marine National Park, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Image courtesy of Maitha Bughanoom. An airstrike on an oil tanker, or a collision, fire or loss of control by one of these vessels would release oil or other pollutants into shallow waters, where they spread rapidly across seagrass beds and coastal habitats. Water quality declines, oxygen levels fall, nesting sites are lost, and breeding cycles are disrupted. Local populations can collapse, and recovery becomes uncertain. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/arabian-gulfs-fragile-marine-ecosystem-threatened-by-current-crisis-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/arabian-gulfs-fragile-marine-ecosystem-threatened-by-current-crisis-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-319117</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>War on Iran disrupts efforts to save the Asiatic cheetah, world’s rarest big cat</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-on-iran-disrupts-efforts-to-save-the-asiatic-cheetah-worlds-rarest-big-cat/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-on-iran-disrupts-efforts-to-save-the-asiatic-cheetah-worlds-rarest-big-cat/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Apr 2026 12:37:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kayleigh Long]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sharon Guynup]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/08102943/Kooshki_the_Cheetah_in_Miandasht_Wildlife_Refuge_10.tiff-enhance-4x-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=317162</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Iran, and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Cats, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Environmentalists, Endangered Species, Human-wildlife Conflict, Protected Areas, War, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Before the war began in February 2026, there was some rare good news for Iran’s imperiled Asiatic cheetahs. Rangers spotted and filmed a female in the North Khorasan province accompanied by five cubs — a first. No more than four had ever been seen before, and every individual counts. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Before the war began in February 2026, there was some rare good news for Iran’s imperiled Asiatic cheetahs. Rangers spotted and filmed a female in the North Khorasan province accompanied by five cubs — a first. No more than four had ever been seen before, and every individual counts. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is the world’s most endangered big cat, and the number counted in the wild rose to 27. Bagher Nezami, national director of the Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project, told Iranian state-controlled media that these were &#8220;ID-carded&#8221; cheetahs, known individuals being monitored by researchers. Another five remain in breeding sites and six in captivity, he said. This represented a significant leap: In August last year, the Tehran Times reported that just 20 were left in the wild. Nine days after the sighting of the five cubs, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, prompting a swift retaliation that has since escalated into a regional conflict with global repercussions — and poses a new threat to a big cat that hovers on the brink of extinction. Kushki (male) is one of the last surviving Asiatic cheetahs in northeastern Iran’s Miandasht Wildlife Refuge. Image by Ehsan Kamali / Tasnim News Agency via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). A species on the brink The Asiatic cheetah was once found throughout Central and Southwest Asia, with a range that spanned from the Arabian Peninsula to the Caspian Sea and as far east as India. However, this&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-on-iran-disrupts-efforts-to-save-the-asiatic-cheetah-worlds-rarest-big-cat/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/war-on-iran-disrupts-efforts-to-save-the-asiatic-cheetah-worlds-rarest-big-cat/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-317162</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Iranian scientist names new praying mantis species for freedom</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/iranian-scientist-names-new-praying-mantis-species-for-freedom/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/iranian-scientist-names-new-praying-mantis-species-for-freedom/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Mar 2025 23:28:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Liz Kimbrough]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/03/10224448/Mahmood-Kolnegari-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=295568</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Iran and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new-to-science species of praying mantis found in Iran has been named as a symbol of universal freedom. Sinaiella azadi was found in the mountainous region of central Iran in 2022 by Mahmood Kolnegari, a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Córdoba in Spain. The species name &#8220;azadi&#8221; means freedom in Persian, a language spoken [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new-to-science species of praying mantis found in Iran has been named as a symbol of universal freedom. Sinaiella azadi was found in the mountainous region of central Iran in 2022 by Mahmood Kolnegari, a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Córdoba in Spain. The species name &#8220;azadi&#8221; means freedom in Persian, a language spoken across multiple countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Although many mantis species have been found in Iran, Kolnegari is the first Iranian scientist to describe a new species of praying mantis from the country. &#8220;I saw that slender, very tiny mantis, and I thought it couldn&#8217;t be here, because it is originally from the southern part of Asia,&#8221; Kolnegari told Mongabay. It is a &#8220;completely morphologically new type of mantis and completely different from other types of mantises known from central Iran. So, I was so amazed and excited to see something like that in a mountainous region.&#8221; Mahmood Kolnegari holding a female  Bolivaria brachyptera, a fairly common mantis species in Iran. Photo courtesy of Mahmood Kolnegari. Kolnegari found the mantis in the Zagros Mountains of central Iran&#8217;s Markazi province, at an elevation of 2,130 meters (6,988 feet). Additional specimens were later identified in museum collections from Armenia, expanding the known range of both the species and the genus. The mantis represents the first record of the genus Sinaiella in Iran, previously known only from the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. &#8220;What was even more remarkable is that they were collected right in the Armenian capital,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/iranian-scientist-names-new-praying-mantis-species-for-freedom/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/iranian-scientist-names-new-praying-mantis-species-for-freedom/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-295568</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Final cheetah conservationists freed in Iran, but the big cat’s outlook remains grim</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/final-cheetah-conservationists-freed-in-iran-but-the-big-cats-outlook-remains-grim/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/final-cheetah-conservationists-freed-in-iran-but-the-big-cats-outlook-remains-grim/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 May 2024 15:38:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kayleigh Long]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/05/10155433/cheetah-in-iran-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=281960</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Endangered Environmentalists]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Iran, and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Cats, Cheetahs, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Environmentalists, Endangered Species, Environment, Governance, Green, Human Rights, Law, Law Enforcement, Politics, Predators, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, Top Predators, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In December 2023, three staff members from the Iranian Cheetah Society crowded around a laptop, moved to tears by the sight of a mother cheetah and her four cubs, caught on a camera trap. Population estimates for the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) vary, but experts say fewer than 30 may remain. Once [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In December 2023, three staff members from the Iranian Cheetah Society crowded around a laptop, moved to tears by the sight of a mother cheetah and her four cubs, caught on a camera trap. Population estimates for the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) vary, but experts say fewer than 30 may remain. Once found throughout Central and Southwest Asia, as far east as India, today the Asiatic cheetah is found only in Iran, where conservation of the species has been hampered by complex geopolitical dynamics. Cheetah conservationists finally freed In January 2018, Iran arrested nine conservationists from the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF) and charged them with spying for states hostile to Iran. They were sentenced in 2019. The decision was upheld in 2020, amid allegations of flaws in the judicial process, including reports of torture and forced confessions. Last month, the final four Iranian scientists and conservationists linked to the PWHF walked free from Tehran’s Evin Prison, pardoned after serving six years and three months apiece. Researchers Houman Jowkar, Sepideh Kashani, Taher Ghadirian and Niloufar Bayani were released on April 8 and 9. The organization’s co-founder, Morad Tahbaz, who also holds U.K. and U.S. citizenship, was released late last year as part of prisoner swap and sanctions waiver deal with the U.S., tied to the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian oil funds, earmarked for humanitarian purposes. Three other PWHF-affiliated conservationists, Sam Rajabi, Amir-Hossein Khaleghi and Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, were released between 2020 and 2023. However, the PWHF&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/final-cheetah-conservationists-freed-in-iran-but-the-big-cats-outlook-remains-grim/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2024/05/final-cheetah-conservationists-freed-in-iran-but-the-big-cats-outlook-remains-grim/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-281960</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Protect Persian leopards, and their defenders, for World Environment Day (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/protect-persian-leopards-and-their-defenders-for-world-environment-day-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/protect-persian-leopards-and-their-defenders-for-world-environment-day-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jun 2022 01:20:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hedieyeh TehranyJane Goodall]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2022/06/02140504/persian-leopard-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=256735</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Central Asia, and Iran]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Cats, Charismatic Animals, Commentary, Conservation, Endangered Environmentalists, Endangered Species, Human-wildlife Conflict, Leopards, Poaching, Social Justice, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[At times of anguish and confusion we turn to nature to quiet the mind and find healing. We hold on to the miraculous survival of wildlife and ecosystems, to persist in the face of struggles we have no control over, leaving us often drained and hopeless. For us, one of those miracles is a beautiful [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[At times of anguish and confusion we turn to nature to quiet the mind and find healing. We hold on to the miraculous survival of wildlife and ecosystems, to persist in the face of struggles we have no control over, leaving us often drained and hopeless. For us, one of those miracles is a beautiful feline, the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana), roaming mountains and cold winter deserts of Central Asia and the Middle East. Persian leopard range spans across 11 countries: Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were part of the range but they are now considered extinct there. Almost 80% of these leopards are found in Iran, followed by Turkmenistan. In the Caucasus, long-term conservation efforts have led to the unique recovery of a small population in the Zangezur region, including the south of Armenia and southeast of Azerbaijan’s Nakhchevan Autonomous Republic (Persian Leopard Working Group (2022) Range-Wide Strategy for the Conservation of the Persian Leopard Panthera pardus tulliana, draft). During the summer of 2021, a Persian leopard was camera trapped in Tusheti Protected Areas in Georgia after a 12 year-long absence. Shortly after, Persian leopards (not related to the reintroduction program in the Russian Caucasus) were spotted in Russian Kabardino-Balkaria, Chechnya and Dagestan. In Kazakhstan, Persian leopards were re-discovered in 2018, though unfortunately the only animal known there died in 2021. Recently in Turkey, leopards were recorded at four different locations, some of which are dispersing male individuals&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/protect-persian-leopards-and-their-defenders-for-world-environment-day-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/protect-persian-leopards-and-their-defenders-for-world-environment-day-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-256735</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Reptile traffickers trawl scientific literature, target newly described species</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/reptile-traffickers-trawl-scientific-literature-target-newly-described-species/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/reptile-traffickers-trawl-scientific-literature-target-newly-described-species/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 May 2021 20:09:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Pavel Toropov]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Glenn Scherer]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/05/26192205/1-banner-image-768x447.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=243039</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Animals]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[China, European Union, Germany, Global, Iran, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Vietnam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation, Ecosystems, Endangered Species, Environment, Extinction, Global Environmental Crisis, Green, Habitat Loss, Herps, Hunting, Illegal Trade, Lizards, Mass Extinction, Over-hunting, Overconsumption, Reptiles, Research, Saving Species From Extinction, Snakes, Solutions, Species Discovery, Turtles, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Within months of newly discovered species of snakes, geckos and turtles being described (along with their locations) by scientists, traders find and harvest the animals for sale on the Internet.]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“What happens when a new species of gecko is discovered? Two Germans grab their suitcases and get on a plane,” says Sandra Altherr, telling an in-house joke. Altherr is a co-founder of Pro Wildlife, a conservation NGO in Germany. In the joke, the anonymous men with suitcases are reptile traders. Their objective is to get hold of the new species as quickly as possible and sell it to collectors. A single lizard, turtle or snake can fetch hundreds, even thousands of dollars. How do the traders know where to go? And why are Germans the butt of the joke? “Traders follow scientific literature, scanning it systematically, looking for new species,” says Altherr. A long-standing scientific convention helps their search: journals not only require a description of each new species found, but typically include the location where it was discovered. In addition, few know that Germany is a superpower in the reptile trade. “We have had the tradition of reptile keeping since the start of the nineteenth century,” explains Altherr. “The problem became huge over the last 2 or 3 decades. With technology and globalization, nature became available and accessible, and the Internet helps traders to get organized, to get in touch.” Mitchell&#8217;s rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchelii) from the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico on sale at Terraristika, the world’s largest reptile fair held in Hamm, Germany. An incredible variety of reptile species is on sale at Terraristika where reptile collectors often come to pick up orders they made online. Image courtesy&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/reptile-traffickers-trawl-scientific-literature-target-newly-described-species/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2021/05/reptile-traffickers-trawl-scientific-literature-target-newly-described-species/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-243039</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Iran upholds heavy sentences for conservationists convicted of spying</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/02/iran-upholds-heavy-sentences-for-conservationists-convicted-of-spying/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/02/iran-upholds-heavy-sentences-for-conservationists-convicted-of-spying/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Feb 2020 11:48:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kayleigh Long]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rebecca Kessler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2020/02/21114603/tehran-1094057_Banner-768x451.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=227311</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Endangered Environmentalists]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Iran and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Big Cats, Conservation, Endangered Environmentalists, Environment, Governance, Green, Human Rights, Politics, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This week Iran’s judiciary upheld sentences for eight conservationists from the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF) who were convicted of collaborating with enemy states. The sentences, handed down in November 2019 along with guilty verdicts, ranged from four to 10 years. At issue appeared to be allegations that the conservationists used wildlife camera traps to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This week Iran’s judiciary upheld sentences for eight conservationists from the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF) who were convicted of collaborating with enemy states. The sentences, handed down in November 2019 along with guilty verdicts, ranged from four to 10 years. At issue appeared to be allegations that the conservationists used wildlife camera traps to spy on behalf of the U.S. and Israel. As Mongabay reported at the time, PWHF founder Morad Tahbaz and program manager Niloufar Bayani (formerly a consultant with the U.N. Environment Programme, UNEP) received 10-year jail terms. Cheetah researcher Houman Jowkar and biologist Taher Ghadirian were sentenced to eight years apiece. Coordinator Sepideh Kashani, big cat conservationist Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi and former PWHF staffer Sam Radjabi received six years, while conservationist and wildlife photographer Abdolreza Kouhpayeh was handed four years’ jail time on the lesser charge of collusion. Eight conservationists affiliated with the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation were recently convicted of spying in Iran. Top row, from left: Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Jowkar and Sepideh Kashani. Bottom row, from left: Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, Sam Radjabi and Morad Tahbaz. Images courtesy of AnyHopeForNature. Following the November guilty verdicts, the group launched an appeal bid within the two-week window stipulated under Iranian law and had been awaiting its outcome ever since. On Feb. 18, the court announced its decision to uphold the sentences without the presence of family members or legal representatives, a spokesperson for the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI)&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2020/02/iran-upholds-heavy-sentences-for-conservationists-convicted-of-spying/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2020/02/iran-upholds-heavy-sentences-for-conservationists-convicted-of-spying/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-227311</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Iran sentences eight conservationists convicted of spying</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/iran-sentences-eight-conservationists-convicted-of-spying/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/iran-sentences-eight-conservationists-convicted-of-spying/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Nov 2019 18:46:35 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kayleigh Long]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rebecca Kessler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/11/26144517/Iran_Landscape-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=224818</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Endangered Environmentalists]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Iran and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Bears, Big Cats, Conservation, Environment, Governance, Green, Human Rights, Politics, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A court in Tehran last week delivered a guilty verdict in the case of eight Iranian conservationists accused of spying, with sentences ranging from four to 10 years. The eight were all affiliated with the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF), a Tehran-based conservation organization that works to save the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A court in Tehran last week delivered a guilty verdict in the case of eight Iranian conservationists accused of spying, with sentences ranging from four to 10 years. The eight were all affiliated with the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF), a Tehran-based conservation organization that works to save the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) and other species. PWHF founder Morad Tahbaz and program manager Niloufar Bayani both received 10-year sentences, while cheetah researcher Houman Jowkar and biologist Taher Ghadirian were sentenced to eight years each. Coordinator Sepideh Kashani, big cat conservationist Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi and former PWHF staffer Sam Radjabi received six years, while Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, a conservationist and wildlife photographer, received four years. Eight conservationists affiliated with the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation were recently convicted of spying in Iran. Top row, from left: Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Jowkar and Sepideh Kashani. Bottom row, from left: Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, Sam Radjabi and Morad Tahbaz. Images courtesy of AnyHopeForNature. The conservationists have been imprisoned since their arrests in January 2018. PWHF’s volunteer managing director, Kavous Seyed-Emami, a Canadian-Iranian sociology professor, was arrested at the same time. He died the following month in Evin Prison in Tehran. Iranian authorities claimed the death was a suicide and have not permitted an independent investigation, according to Seyed-Emami’s family. Four of the group had faced charges of “sowing corruption on earth,” which can carry the death penalty, but these were dropped in October. According to New York-based NGO Human Rights&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/iran-sentences-eight-conservationists-convicted-of-spying/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/11/iran-sentences-eight-conservationists-convicted-of-spying/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-224818</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Iran’s endangered cheetahs and imperiled conservationists (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/irans-endangered-cheetahs-and-imperiled-conservationists-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/irans-endangered-cheetahs-and-imperiled-conservationists-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Mar 2019 11:39:34 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Christian WalzerChristine BreitenmoserLaurie MarkerLuke HunterSarah DurantStephane OstrowskiUrs Breitenmoser]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mike Gaworecki]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2019/03/08112230/Asiatic-cheetah_1200px-cropped-768x477.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=216383</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Iran]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Charismatic Animals, Cheetahs, Commentary, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Environmentalists, Endangered Species, Environment, Mammals, Research, Saving Species From Extinction, Solutions, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Few people realize that Iran is home to cheetahs. Once found from the Arabian Peninsula to India, the Asiatic cheetah — genetically and ecologically distinct from its African counterpart — is now reduced to fewer than 50 individuals occupying Iran’s vast, arid central plateau. This critically endangered population has been the focus of a sustained [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Few people realize that Iran is home to cheetahs. Once found from the Arabian Peninsula to India, the Asiatic cheetah — genetically and ecologically distinct from its African counterpart — is now reduced to fewer than 50 individuals occupying Iran’s vast, arid central plateau. This critically endangered population has been the focus of a sustained conservation effort led by the Iranian Department of Environment (DoE) since 2001. Among its many achievements, the ambitious program declared specially protected cheetah reserves and supplied the parks with guards, new vehicles, and other equipment to protect them. The program also fostered a new era of cooperation between professional conservationists inside and outside Iran, united in their commitment to averting the cheetah’s extinction. The DoE enlisted members of Iran’s vibrant non-governmental sector to provide technical expertise and training, particularly in science-based surveys of cheetah populations. Surveys are essential to understanding where cheetahs live and move, how many remain, and whether they are breeding. Those surveys are also at the heart of a devastating case unfolding in the Iranian courts this month. Clockwise from top left: Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi, Taher Ghadirian, Sam Radjabi, Niloufar Bayani, Morad Tahbaz, Houman Jowkar, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, Sepideh Kashani. Photo Credit: #AnyHopeForNature. Eight wildlife conservationists have been imprisoned by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps since January 2018, facing charges of espionage. All those in detention — Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Jowkar, Sepideh Kashani, Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, Sam Radjabi and Morad Tahbaz — are among the most knowledgeable, experienced, and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/03/irans-endangered-cheetahs-and-imperiled-conservationists-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-216383</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Five wildlife conservationists held by Iran could face the death penalty</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/four-wildlife-conservationists-held-by-iran-could-face-the-death-penalty/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/four-wildlife-conservationists-held-by-iran-could-face-the-death-penalty/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Nov 2018 00:07:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[John Cannon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/11/25064159/Asian_cheetah.d6557dc9d9484ded93bb5660f335d5cb-768x450.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=212641</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Endangered Environmentalists]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Iran, and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Animals, Big Cats, Camera Trapping, Cats, Cheetahs, Conservation, Crime, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Environmentalists, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Heroes, Law, Law Enforcement, Mammals, NGOs, Politics, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Up to five conservation researchers accused of spying by the Iranian government could face the death penalty if convicted, according to multiple media reports. Conservationists Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Jowkar, Sepideh Kashani and Morad Tahbaz work with the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation on the conservation of different wildlife species in Iran, which includes monitoring [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Up to five conservation researchers accused of spying by the Iranian government could face the death penalty if convicted, according to multiple media reports. Conservationists Niloufar Bayani, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Jowkar, Sepideh Kashani and Morad Tahbaz work with the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation on the conservation of different wildlife species in Iran, which includes monitoring animals such as Asiatic cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) with camera traps. The country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which reports to the country’s supreme leader, alleges that the team used camera traps to collect information on Iran’s missile program, Science magazine reported Oct. 30. The eight environmentalists from the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation currently being held in Iran on charges related to espionage. Image © #anyhopefornature. The five are among a group of eight — which also includes Amir Hossein Khaleghi, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh and Sam Rajabi from the same organization — being held in custody, according to The Guardian newspaper and other media reports. A sociologist and manager of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, Kavous Seyed Emami, who was arrested in early 2018, died under suspicious circumstances in February while in custody, observers said according to a report in The New York Times. “This is a very bizarre charge to bring against environmental activists,” Tara Sepehri Far, a researcher with Human Rights Watch (HRW), told Science. After months of confinement, five of the eight conservationists were charged with the crime of “sowing corruption on Earth” in early October, The Guardian wrote. (Science reported that only four of them&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/four-wildlife-conservationists-held-by-iran-could-face-the-death-penalty/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-212641</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Conservationist, imprisoned for &#8216;spying&#8217; with wildlife camera traps, dies in Iranian prison</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/conservationist-imprisoned-for-spying-dies-in-iranian-prison/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/conservationist-imprisoned-for-spying-dies-in-iranian-prison/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Feb 2018 15:43:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rebecca Kessler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2018/02/23153625/KavousSeyedEmami_2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=204070</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Endangered Environmentalists]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Iran]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Conservation, Environment, Green, Human Rights, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Kavous Seyed Emami, a professor of sociology and a director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, died in Tehran’s Evin Prison earlier this month. Iranian authorities said he committed suicide after confessing to crimes, an assertion his sons say they doubt. Seyed Emami was arrested on January 24 and accused of spying for the U.S. and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Kavous Seyed Emami, a professor of sociology and a director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, died in Tehran’s Evin Prison earlier this month. Iranian authorities said he committed suicide after confessing to crimes, an assertion his sons say they doubt. Seyed Emami was arrested on January 24 and accused of spying for the U.S. and Israel, having “installed cameras in the country’s strategic locations to monitor Iran’s missile activities, sending information to foreigners,” the Tehran prosecutor, Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi, said, according to a detailed report today in the New York Times. “It’s just all so ridiculous, we don’t even know where to start,” Seyed Emami’s son Ramin Emami told the paper. “Those cameras, for instance, are for shooting wildlife, their range doesn’t go beyond 25 meters. They are cheap and can be bought anywhere. Even if they wanted — which they didn’t — how could they spy on the missile program with those?” Kavous Seyed Emami. Photo courtesy of Center for Human Rights in Iran. Authorities have prohibited the family from securing an independent autopsy, seized the deed to the family’s house, and warned family members not to speak out about the case, according to the paper. Seyed Emami’s arrest and suspicious death appear to be part of a wider crack down on environmentalists, and come at a time of deepening social and political tension in Iran. Authorities arrested at least six other conservationists around the same time, many of them also affiliated with the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, according to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/02/conservationist-imprisoned-for-spying-dies-in-iranian-prison/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-204070</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Cheetah populations crash as fastest-animal disappears from 91% of its range</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/12/cheetah-populations-crash-as-fastest-animal-disappears-from-91-of-its-range/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/12/cheetah-populations-crash-as-fastest-animal-disappears-from-91-of-its-range/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Dec 2016 21:43:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/12/26214122/Hazelnut-and-cubs_credit-ZSL-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=191920</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Botswana, Iran, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Cheetahs, Conservation, Endangered Species, Human-wildlife Conflict, Hunting, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The world&#8217;s fastest land animal is speeding toward extinction across much of its range, reports a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, which was authored by an international team of researchers including biologists from ZSL (Zoological Society of London), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Panthera, estimates that the planet&#8217;s [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The world&#8217;s fastest land animal is speeding toward extinction across much of its range, reports a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, which was authored by an international team of researchers including biologists from ZSL (Zoological Society of London), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Panthera, estimates that the planet&#8217;s wild cheetah population is down to just 7,100 individuals, a decline of more than 90 percent since the turn of the 20th century. Cheetah have disappeared across 91 percent of their historic range, with Asian populations going extinct except for one group of about 50 individuals in Iran. In Zimbabwe the population plummeted 85 percent since 2000. Cheetah. Photo courtesy of ZSL The findings prompted the authors to recommend the cheetah be up-listed from from ‘Vulnerable&#8217; to ‘Endangered&#8217; on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, potentially affording the species with greater attention and support. &#8220;This study represents the most comprehensive analysis of cheetah status to date. Given the secretive nature of this elusive cat, it has been difficult to gather hard information on the species, leading to its plight being overlooked,&#8221; the study&#8217;s lead author Sarah Durant, a researcher with ZSL/WCS who serves as the project leader for the Rangewide Conservation Program for Cheetah and African Wild Dog, said in a press release. &#8220;Our findings show that the large space requirements for cheetah, coupled with the complex range of threats faced by the species in the wild, mean that it is likely to be&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/12/cheetah-populations-crash-as-fastest-animal-disappears-from-91-of-its-range/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/12/cheetah-populations-crash-as-fastest-animal-disappears-from-91-of-its-range/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-191920</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Three murders highlight troubles of Iran’s park rangers</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/three-murders-highlight-troubles-of-irans-park-rangers/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/three-murders-highlight-troubles-of-irans-park-rangers/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Aug 2016 19:52:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jennifer Huizen]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rebecca Kessler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2016/08/01192805/081816-JHuizen_Iran_PersianLeopard_LarNationalPark-440x330.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=188740</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Endangered Environmentalists]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Iran and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Animals, Biodiversity, Cats, Cheetahs, Conflict, Conservation, Crime, Endangered Environmentalists, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Policy, Governance, Human Rights, Hunting, Land Rights, Law, Law Enforcement, Poaching, Politics, Protected Areas, Social Justice, Wildlife, Wildlife Rangers, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[One June 23 Mohammad Dehqani and Parviz Hormozi, two park rangers with a combined 35 years on the job, were patrolling a nearly impassable section of southern Iran’s Geno Biosphere Reserve when they came across poachers. While the details of what happened next are likely lost to history, the outcome is tragically clear. The poachers [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[One June 23 Mohammad Dehqani and Parviz Hormozi, two park rangers with a combined 35 years on the job, were patrolling a nearly impassable section of southern Iran’s Geno Biosphere Reserve when they came across poachers. While the details of what happened next are likely lost to history, the outcome is tragically clear. The poachers shot both men in the head and heart and left them for dead. Two days later another park ranger named Manouchehr Shojaei met a similar fate in Bamou National Park in the country’s southwest. Poachers shot Shojaei in the chest then reportedly threw him off a cliff. He died in a local hospital a few hours later. The stories caused public outrage in Iran and abroad. President Hassan Rouhani even issued a text statement calling the three men martyrs. Now the horrendous deaths are catalyzing a national conversation about a system that pits the country’s scattered, scarce, and undersupported park rangers not only against poachers but in some cases, the Iranian judiciary system. Masoumeh Ebtekar, Iran’s Vice President and head of its Department of Environment. Under Ebtekar the department claims it helped secure the release of eight imprisoned rangers in the past year. Photo by Mostafa Gholamnejad/Tasnim News Agency via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) The full story isn’t entirely accessible, even to environmentalists and journalists within the country, thanks to a mix of corruption, politics, the arcana of elements of Iranian law, and of course, the harsh, remote, terrain where much of the drama plays&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/08/three-murders-highlight-troubles-of-irans-park-rangers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-188740</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>2015 Equator Prize winners span 19 countries</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/2015-equator-prize-winners-span-19-countries/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/2015-equator-prize-winners-span-19-countries/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Sep 2015 23:52:09 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay.com]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2015/09/03162548/sabah_3516-495x330.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Ethiopia, Guyana, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, and Uganda]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community-based Conservation, Environment, Environmental Heroes, Happy-upbeat Environmental, and Indigenous Peoples]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The United Nations today announced 21 winners of the 2015 Equator Prize, a prestigious award that recognizes community-led environmental initiatives. The winners, selected from a pool of 1,461 nominations across 126 countries, include groups from 19 countries, spanning community land rights organizations to environmental activists. &#8220;These winners show what is possible when indigenous peoples and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The United Nations today announced 21 winners of the 2015 Equator Prize, a prestigious award that recognizes community-led environmental initiatives. The winners, selected from a pool of 1,461 nominations across 126 countries, include groups from 19 countries, spanning community land rights organizations to environmental activists. &#8220;These winners show what is possible when indigenous peoples and local communities are backed by rights to manage their lands, territories and natural resources,&#8221; said Helen Clark, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), in a statement. &#8220;Forests and wildlife are protected, landscapes are managed to provide for food and water security, jobs are created and local people are empowered. The bottom line is that land rights for indigenous people are good for the climate, good for sustainable development.&#8221; The winners were announced during an event hosted by actor Alec Baldwin. Each winner receives $10,000 and a trip to a community summit that parallels COP21 in Paris. The U.N. released a full list of the winners, which is reproduced below. Additional details are available on the Equator Initiative web site. A 2011 rally in Phnom Penh by the Prey Lang Network. Photo courtesy of Prey Lang Network. EQUATOR PRIZE 2015 WINNERS Rural Green Environment Organization, Afghanistan – The organization works in one of Afghanistan’s poorest provinces and has banned illegal fishing and hunting, improved food security and restored degraded lands through food for work projects (6,150 jobs created), tree nurseries, forest guard patrols, terracing and the planting of fruit and nut trees (200,000 trees planted).&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2015/09/2015-equator-prize-winners-span-19-countries/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-139618</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Asiatic cheetahs: on the road to extinction?</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2013/02/asiatic-cheetahs-on-the-road-to-extinction/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2013/02/asiatic-cheetahs-on-the-road-to-extinction/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Feb 2013 15:38:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Erica Santana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2013/02/asiatic-cheetahs-on-the-road-to-extinction/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Asia, Iran, and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Cheetahs, Conservation, Critically Endangered Species, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, In-situ Conservation, Mammals, Parks, Predators, Protected Areas, Roads, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[New road projects imperils Critically Endangered cheetah subspecies Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are unique among large cats. They have a highly specialized body, a mild temperament, and are the fastest living animals on land. Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, the Asiatic subspecies, is unique among cheetahs and the only member of five currently living subspecies to occur outside [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[New road projects imperils Critically Endangered cheetah subspecies Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are unique among large cats. They have a highly specialized body, a mild temperament, and are the fastest living animals on land. Acinonyx jubatus venaticus, the Asiatic subspecies, is unique among cheetahs and the only member of five currently living subspecies to occur outside of Africa. Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List&#8212;with a population of between 70 and 100 individuals&#8212;the Asiatic cheetah is one of the rarest felines on the planet. But new proposed road through one of its last habitat strongholds may threaten the cat even further. The Asiatic cheetah&#8217;s historic range encompassed much of central-southern Asia; the current remaining population has been relegated to the desert region of central Iran. Instead of roaming savannahs and prairies, Asiatic cheetahs inhabit steppe and semi-desert areas. This change in habitat brought about changes in life history traits as well, most notably in diet. Unlike the typical smorgasbord of grassland ungulates on the plains of Africa, Asiatic cheetahs have an altered menu consisting of wild sheep, wild goats, ibex, hares, and Jebeer gazelles. Though its African cousin has been studied in-depth, little is known about the ecology of the Asiatic cheetah. The current population of less than 100 animals is a drastic decrease from the estimated 200-300 animals in the late 1970s. The remaining animals are mostly confined to protected habitats in wildlife refuges and sanctuaries. Some skeptics claim that they are as good as extinct, while optimists&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2013/02/asiatic-cheetahs-on-the-road-to-extinction/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-29513</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Animal picture of the day: rare image of Asiatic cheetah and cubs</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-rare-image-of-asiatic-cheetah-and-cubs/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-rare-image-of-asiatic-cheetah-and-cubs/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jul 2012 16:07:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2012/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-rare-image-of-asiatic-cheetah-and-cubs/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Afghanistan, Asia, Central Asia, India, Iran, Middle East, and Pakistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Carnivores, Cats, Cheetahs, Environment, Green, Mammals, Photos, Picture Of The Day, Predators, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A rare image of a mother Iranian cheetah and its three cubs. Photo by: Javad Shokouhi/Yazd DOE-CACP. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), also known as the Iranian cheetah, is one the world&#8217;s rarest cat subspecies with somewhere between 70-110 individuals left. No surprisingly it is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. &#8220;This [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A rare image of a mother Iranian cheetah and its three cubs. Photo by: Javad Shokouhi/Yazd DOE-CACP. The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), also known as the Iranian cheetah, is one the world&#8217;s rarest cat subspecies with somewhere between 70-110 individuals left. No surprisingly it is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. &#8220;This is a special snapshot of an Asiatic cheetah mother flanked by three cubs in a cave sheltered from the intense Iranian desert sun. This same cheetah mother was featured in a recent Wildlife Extra article that reported on camera trap images showing her migrating between two reserves 130 kilometers or 80 miles apart!&#8221; Panthera told mongabay.com of the above image. Panthera, which is devoted to cat conservation, has a program specifically devoted to this subspecies. Once found across the Middle East and Central Asia the subspecies is now restricted almost entirely to Iran; abundant populations that survived alongside tigers and elephants in India have vanished, and are likely gone from Afghanistan and Pakistan as well. The world&#8217;s last population of Asiatic cheetahs remains hugely imperiled by prey decline due to decades of overhunting and ongoing poaching; habitat degradation due to overgrazing and drought; human-wildlife conflict with herders and livestock; and even cubs captured for the illegal pet trade.This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2012/07/animal-picture-of-the-day-rare-image-of-asiatic-cheetah-and-cubs/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-30670</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>World nations see six all-time record high temperatures, no lows so far in 2011</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/08/world-nations-see-six-all-time-record-high-temperatures-no-lows-so-far-in-2011/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2011/08/world-nations-see-six-all-time-record-high-temperatures-no-lows-so-far-in-2011/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Aug 2011 20:26:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2011/08/world-nations-see-six-all-time-record-high-temperatures-no-lows-so-far-in-2011/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Armenia, Asia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and United States]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Climate Science, Environment, Green, and Temperatures]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Eight months into the year, six nations have seen record high temperatures, including Kuwait, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, and Republic of the Congo, reports Jeff Master&#8217;s Wunderblog. To date no record lows have been recorded in any country in the world so far. This is similar, though not quite as extreme, to last year when twenty [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Eight months into the year, six nations have seen record high temperatures, including Kuwait, Iraq, Armenia, Iran, and Republic of the Congo, reports Jeff Master&#8217;s Wunderblog. To date no record lows have been recorded in any country in the world so far. This is similar, though not quite as extreme, to last year when twenty countries broke all time highs with none hitting an all time low. On August 3rd, Kuwait made a number of new records when it hit 127 Fahrenheit (53.3 Celsius) at Mitrabah: a record for Kuwait, for an Arabic nation, and a world record for the month of August. Asia has suffered under incredible heat over the summer with Kuwait&#8217;s record number, Iraq&#8217;s, and Iran&#8217;s all falling in the top ten highs ever recorded on the continent. High temperatures, along with drought and fires, have also plagued much of the US this summer with Texas experiencing its worst drought since the Dust Bowl. In July Oklahoma recorded the highest average temperature over a month (89.1 Fahrenheit) of any of the all 50 states. Globally, last year was tied for the warmest on record since tracking begin in 1880. According to NASA&#8217;s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) the warmest years to date are: 2005 and 2010 (tied), followed by 1998, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2009. Needless to say 2000-2009 was the warmest decade yet. Scientists say the world is warming due to greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels and deforestation among other human impacts.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2011/08/world-nations-see-six-all-time-record-high-temperatures-no-lows-so-far-in-2011/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-32132</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Half a trillion spent on fossil fuel subsidies mostly &#8220;a complete waste of money&#8221;</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/04/half-a-trillion-spent-on-fossil-fuel-subsidies-mostly-a-complete-waste-of-money/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/04/half-a-trillion-spent-on-fossil-fuel-subsidies-mostly-a-complete-waste-of-money/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Apr 2010 17:09:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2010/04/half-a-trillion-spent-on-fossil-fuel-subsidies-mostly-a-complete-waste-of-money</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[China, India, Iran, United States, and Venezuela]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Green, Mitigation, Natural Resources, Oil, Politics, Renewable Energy, Solutions, and Subsidies]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Despite a warming planet linked to the burning of fossil fuels, governments around the world still spend 500 billion US dollars a year subsidizing fossil fuel industries. A new study from the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development looks at the difficult political situation behind ending fossil fuel subsidies. &#8220;Fossil [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Despite a warming planet linked to the burning of fossil fuels, governments around the world still spend 500 billion US dollars a year subsidizing fossil fuel industries. A new study from the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development looks at the difficult political situation behind ending fossil fuel subsidies. &#8220;Fossil fuels are often the most cost-effective way to provide useful energy, especially in poor households living on already stretched budgets. But the pervasive role of fossil fuels in countries&#8217; economies makes them attractive for politicians to subsidize, which leads to over-consumption,&#8221; explains David Victor, author of the study and a professor of political science with UC San Diego&#8217;s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies. &#8220;Virtually every analysis of fossil-fuel subsidies has shown that most are a complete waste of money, or worse, because money spent on subsidies isn&#8217;t available for other purposes that yield much greater social benefits, such as education and rural agriculture.&#8221; Fossil fuel subsidies are highest in Iran, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, India, and Venezuela. According to Victor, large subsidies are common in oil-producing democracies where fuel prices are big campaign issues. Politicians in such countries often believe that standing up against subsidizing fossils fuels would threaten their political future despite fossil fuels&#8217; environmental impact. According to the Energy Information Administration, after China and the United States, among major polluters only India is expected to have significant growth of emissions over the next 20 years. For example, Venezuela has the lowest&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2010/04/half-a-trillion-spent-on-fossil-fuel-subsidies-mostly-a-complete-waste-of-money/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-34334</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Forgotten Species: the fiery Luristan Newt</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/02/forgotten-species-the-fiery-luristan-newt/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2010/02/forgotten-species-the-fiery-luristan-newt/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Feb 2010 21:37:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Jeremy Hance]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2010/02/forgotten-species-the-fiery-luristan-newt/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Iran and Middle East]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Amphibians, Animal Behavior, Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Ex-situ Conservation, Green, Herps, In-situ Conservation, Pet Trade, Rivers, Wildlife, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Everyone knows the tiger, the panda, the blue whale, but what about the other five to thirty million species estimated to inhabit our Earth? Many of these marvelous, stunning, and rare species have received little attention from the media, conservation groups, and the public. This series is an attempt to give these &#8216;forgotten species&#8216; some [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Everyone knows the tiger, the panda, the blue whale, but what about the other five to thirty million species estimated to inhabit our Earth? Many of these marvelous, stunning, and rare species have received little attention from the media, conservation groups, and the public. This series is an attempt to give these &#8216;forgotten species&#8216; some well-deserved attention. The salamander was a mythical creature before it was a real one: the word salamander means a legendary lizard that both survived-in and could extinguish fire. A creature that the Ancient Greeks, including Aristotle, appeared to readily believe in. No one knows how the term salamander transferred from a mythical fire-dwelling monster to the small amphibious animals it applies to today, but I have a theory. Perhaps the sight of salamanders like Luristan newt—charcoal-black and flame-orange—caused people in the seventeenth century to lend the name of myth to the taxa. Native to a tiny river region in the Zagros mountians of Iran, the Luristan newt Neurergus kaiseri stuns everyone who works with it. &#8220;It&#8217;s one of the most beautiful amphibians in the world, and a spectacular animal to see in person,&#8221; says Nate Nelson, curator of amphibians, reptiles, and fish at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Witchita, Kansas. The zoo is involved in a breeding program for Luristan newts with hopes to one day release individuals back into the wild The Luristan newt (more photos at the end of the article). Photo by: Dr. Richard Bartlett. The IUCN Red List has classified the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2010/02/forgotten-species-the-fiery-luristan-newt/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-35676</doi>				</item>
						<item>
					<title>Cheetah population stabilizes in Namibia with support from farmers</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2008/10/cheetah-population-stabilizes-in-namibia-with-support-from-farmers/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2008/10/cheetah-population-stabilizes-in-namibia-with-support-from-farmers/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Oct 2008 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">http://news.mongabaydev.co.uk/2008/12/cheetah-population-stabilizes-in-namibia-with-support-from-farmers/</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Algeria, Botswana, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Southern Africa, and Zimbabwe]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Carnivores, Cats, Cattle, Conservation, Endangered Species, Environment, Green, Happy-upbeat Environmental, Hunting, In-situ Conservation, Interviews, Poaching, Ranching, Sustainable Development, Wildlife, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Cheetah population stabilizes in Namibia with support from farmers An interview with Dr. Laurie Marker,founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com October 2, 2008 Cheetah population stabilizes in Namibia with support from farmers]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Cheetah population stabilizes in Namibia with support from farmers An interview with Dr. Laurie Marker,founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com October 2, 2008 Cheetah population stabilizes in Namibia with support from farmersThis article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2008/10/cheetah-population-stabilizes-in-namibia-with-support-from-farmers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
										<doi>https://doi.org/10.66709/news-37808</doi>				</item>
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