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pressure has drastically reduced Cheetah populations, and this
probably has a major influence on social structure. Litters of 1–5 cubs
weighing up to 300 g at birth may be born at any time of year. The
cubs remain hidden for at least their first six weeks of life.
Distribution and Status Cheetahs once occurred across much of
North Africa and Arabia, and through Iran, into Pakistan and India.
Today they occupy only a fraction of their former range in south
and eastern Algeria and adjacent areas of Niger and Libya, centred
on the Ahaggar massif. It is likely that remnant populations survive
elsewhere on the southern Saharan fringe. The Asian population (A.
j. venaticus) survives in isolated areas of north-east and east-central
Iran. Estimates vary, but only 60–80 cheetah occur in that country.
Conservation Areas Ahaggar NP; Tassili n’ Ajjer NP (Algeria); Aïr and
Tenere NR (Niger); Naybandan WR, Ariz and Bafq PA, Daranjir WR,
Kavir NP, Khar Turan NP (Iran).
LEOPARD Panthera pardus
Identification This elegant and powerfully built species of cat occurs
widely in the region in very low numbers. Its body colour varies from
off-white to orange-russet with black spots on the lower legs, flanks,
hindquarters and head. Spots over the rest of the body consist of
rosettes or broken circles of irregular spots. The white-tipped tail
is about half of the total length of the animal. The underparts are
usually paler than the upperparts. Unlike in the Cheetah, there is no
black ‘tear mark’ between the eye and mouth corner. Leopards vary
greatly in size from area to area: smaller animals occur in the Arabian
Peninsula; among the largest in the mountains of Iran.