Threatened species of Acinonyx jubatus venaticus

Asiatic cheetahs formerly roamed vast territories from the Middle East to India; the small surviving population now lives only in Iran. Conservationists believe that fewer than 40 Asiatic cheetahs remain alive in Iran today, and that only two females continue to live in the wild. Habitat loss, poaching, and excessive hunting of cheetahs' prey have put this species on the brink of extinction. In the past 15 years, 21 cheetahs were killed by farmers, 15 died in car accidents, and five were killed by hunters. (Two other big cats, the Caspian tiger and Persian lion, have already become extinct in Iran, and the Caspian tiger is now extinct worldwide.)