Miandasht Game Reserve
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Miandasht Game Reserve
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| location | Iran | |
| surface | 844 km² | |
| Geographical location | 36 ° 52 ′ N , 56 ° 49 ′ E | |
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| administration | Iranian Department of the Environment | |
The Miandasht Game Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary in northeastern Iran . It is an important sanctuary for the rare Asiatic cheetah .
Location and establishment
The Miandasht Game Reserve is located in North Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1973. The reserve is located southeast of Golestan National Park , and northeast of Khar Turan National Park .
Landscape and vegetation
The reserve consists of 844 km² of dry plains, which are interrupted by chains of hills. Most of the areas of the protected area are located a little below 1000 m. The highest point is 1340 m above sea level. The average annual precipitation is 150 mm. There are some settlements around the reserve. The residents drive around 15,000 domestic animals to graze on the reserve every winter. The vegetation is generally desert-like and dominated by Artemisia herbs ( Artemisia sieberi ), feather grasses ( Stipa ), salt herbs ( Salsola ), Saxaul trees ( Haloxylon ) and tamarisks ( Tamarix ).
fauna
The Miandasht Game Reserve is home to the rare Asian cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus venaticus ). Other predators are striped hyena ( Hyaena hyaena ), wolf ( Canis lupus ), caracal ( Caracal caracal ), wild cat ( Felis silvestris ), red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) and golden jackal ( Canis aureus ). The most common wild ungulates are goiter gazelles . They represent the cheetah's most important food source. Their number has increased to over 600 animals in recent years. Arkal wild sheep ( Ovis orientalis arkal ) and wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) also occur in low numbers. Rodents and hares are common. The most important birds of prey are the buzzard ( Buteo rufinus ) and the golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Mohammad S. Farhadinia, Bahman Shams Esfandabad, Mahmoud Karami, Fatemeh Hosseini-Zavarei, Hossein Absalan and Bagher Nezami: Goitered Gazelle Gazella subgutturosa Guldenstaedt, 1780: its habitat preference and conservation needs in Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, northeastern Iran . Zoology in the Middle East 46, 2009. PDF
- ↑ Wildlife Extra News: Cheetah family still thriving in Iran - All three cubs have reached 1 year old ( Memento of the original from June 9, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . May 2013
