“A Park ranger has managed to capture the picture of a three-member group of Asiatic cheetahs near Biarjomand village, which is in the vicinity of Khar Turan National Park [also known as Turan Wildlife Refuge],” Amir Abdoos, head of the provincial office of Department of Environment said on Monday.

He added that the spotted cheetahs have raised hopes for the survival of the endangered species in the region.

Abdoos noted that two cheetah cubs were also spotted near Biarjomand in mid-spring. This indicates a growing population of the species in the region, he said.

Asiatic cheetahs and Persian leopards are among the most endangered species in the world. Big cats have been listed as “endangered” in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Reduced prey population and shrinkage of their natural habitat are threatening the big cats.

Khar Turan National Park, situated in the southeast of Shahrud city, stretches to 1,400,000 hectares while being the second largest reserve in the country after Naybandan Wildlife Refuge.

The park is home to one of the largest populations of the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah.

With the increasing numbers of cheetahs in Khar Turan, there is an estimated population of around 40 individuals.

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