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Abstract
The presence of the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) has been verified in several protected areas in central Iran. Prey selection by the Asiatic cheetah was studied in Dare-Anjir Wildlife Refuge, one of its typical habitats in central Iran where there are no carnivorous competitors. The frequency of cheetah kills was compared with the relative abundance of each of its primary prey species obtained through two independent surveys. Jebeer gazelle (Gazella bennettii) was least abundant, but was the preferred prey of cheetah, whereas wild sheep (Ovis orientalis) followed by Persian ibex (Capra aegagrus) were the most frequently killed prey. Cheetahs selectively preyed on males of the three prey species. Our data suggest that Asiatic cheetahs prey mainly on mountain ungulates (wild sheep and Persian ibex), which has management implications for effective conservation of this taxon in Iran.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Iranian Department of the Environment (DoE), Yazd Provincial Office of DoE and the Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP), particularly Alireza Jourabchian, Hooshang Ziaie and Akbar Hamedanian who provided logistical support for field surveys. Special thanks go to Hossein Molaei, Abbas Moridi and Kaveh Hatami for their companionship in the field surveys. We are also grateful to Melvin Sunquist, Gus Mills, Tim Caro and three anonymous reviewers for the revision of the first draft of this paper and their useful comments.