Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) (Felidae: Carnivora) ‎feeding ecology in Central Plateau of Iran and effects of prey ‎poor managemment

Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus), as the most charismatic mammalian species of Iran, is faced with a high probability of extinction (Ce category) throughout the country. In this study, the species preferred feeding items were investigated based on collected scats across the extra-arid habitats of central Iran. The scat samples were collected during 2015-2016 from Dareh-Anjir wildlife refuge located in Yazd province. All collected samples were examined based on standard protocols and all their animal remaining such as hairs were used to the identification of the prey items which used by the species. Our findings based on scats analysis indicated that Jebeer Gazelles (Gazella bennettii), constitute the main preferred feeding item of the Cheetah s population. With regard to the low abundance of this Gazelles in the study area, it looks that lowering prey items induced from poor habitat management during recent decades can be regarded as one the main cause of Cheetahs sever population declining. It seems that large herbivores extirpation from the study area will doom the Cheetahs toward the extinction.