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Moqanaki, E.M.; Farhadinia, M.S.; Tourani, M.; Akbari, H.
The caracal in Iran - current state of knowledge and priorities for conservation
2016  Cat News Special Issue (10): 27-32

Little information is present regarding biology and ecology of the caracal _Caracal caracal_ in Iran. The majority of the available information comes from cheetah reserves in the central provinces, where about a decade of monitoring initiatives and extensive camera trapping surveys have been conducted. The caracal occurs in a wide variety of habitats across Iran, and presence records are currently lacking only from the Caspian Sea region, hyper-arid central deserts, and the Iranian Caucasus. The Iranian caracal's diet purportedly includes a great variety of prey of different sizes from small rodents and birds to medium-sized ungulates. Occasional predation on domestic small stock is likely to bring the caracal into conflict with local pastoralists. In spite of being highly adaptable and widely distributed, the caracal is in need for conservation attention. The main conservation priorities for the caracal in Iran are scientific research and mitigating negative interactions between caracals and traditional pastoralists. The caracal has been the subject of little empirical research in Iran, and elsewhere outside southern Africa. Here, we provide a thorough summary of what is known to date about the caracal in Iran, enriched with reliable field observations, unpublished reports, and anecdotal accounts. By summarising the current state of knowledge about the biology and ecology of Iranian caracals, we provide suggestions for future research, as well as priority conservation actions.

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