SW Asia

Armenia

Igor KHOROZYAN

I was born on 16 December 1972 in Yerevan, Armenia and graduated from the St. Petersburg State University, Russia in 1994 as a Bachelor of Science in biology. Since 2001 I have been leading the projects on research and conservation of the endangered Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) in Armenia. In January 2006 I have become a PhD student at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, Russia. My principal professional interests are two: (1) use of GIS mapping and modeling, camera photo-trapping and sample analyses in carnivore studies; and (2) carnivore ecology and conservation.

Mashtotz Ave. 48/17, Yerevan 375009, Armenia

e-Mail: leopard_am(a)yahoo.com

T: ++374 10-64-0658

Turkey

Oe. Emre CAN

B.Sc. in Biology and an M.Sc. on carnivores from METU, Turkey, a Diploma of Specialized Post-Graduate Studies on Management of Mediterranean Ecosystems and a second M.Sc. on wolf ecology from CIHEAM, France. I am experienced in trapping and radio tracking of wolves, and in conducting surveys for rare species. Since 1999 I have been executing carnivore research and conservation projects on grey wolf, brown bear, striped hyena with the support of WWF, WSPA and WCS. Currently I am focusing on the status and conservation needs of cat species in Turkey, including the Anatolian leopard. I am also a member of IUCN SSC Wolf and Bear Specialist Groups.

WWF Turkey & WSPA International PK 871 Ulus06045 Ankara, Turkey

e-Mail: emre.can(a)bozayi.org

T ++90 (312) 310-3303, F ++90 (312) 310-6042

United Arab Emirates

Sean McKEWON, member since 2001

H.E. Sheikh Butti Maktoum's Wildlife Center, P.O. Box 7237, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

e-Mail: smckeown(a)emirates.net.ae

T, F ++971 (4) 337-9097

Jane EDMONDS, member since 2005

I studied veterinary nursing at  the University of Pretoria, South Africa before joining the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, Sharjah, UAE, where I am the head of the feline section. The main focus of the centre is captive breeding of endangered Arabian fauna with limited in situ research of key species. The feline section includes Arabian leopard, cheetah, Arabian caracal, Arabian Sandcat and Gordon’s wildcat. I co-author the regional Arab. leopard Studbook and am member of the Cheetah EEP SC. Currently undertaking a degree in Veterinary Medicine at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia.

Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife, P.O. Box 29922, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

e-Mail: jane_ashley(a)hotmail.com

T ++971 (6) 531-1212, F ++971 (6) 531-1156

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Iyad A. NADER, member since 1991

I gained my MSc and PhD at the University of Illionois in the USA and then worked as assitent professor at the Universtiy of Baghdad. Later I moved to Saudi Arabia, where I became professor at  King Saud University in  Riyadh. Since 1998 I have been the director of theKing Khalid Wildlife Research Centre in Riyadh. I am involved in conservation and taxonomy of the Arabian leopard, the sand cat and the caracal in Saudi Arabia and on the Arabian Peninsula.

King Khalid Wildlife, Research Centre, P.O. Box 61681

Riyadh 11575, Saudi Arabia

e-Mail: kkwrc.ksa(a)zajil.net

T ++966 (1) 404-2527, F ++966 (1) 401-1527

 Oman

Andrew SPALTON

In 1997, in the Sultanate of Oman, I started the first field research on the Arabian leopard Panthera pardus nimr in the wild.  Phase I of the work was three years of camera trapping and Phase II the capture of leopard and fitting of GPS satellite tracking collars. I have set up a collaborative project to work on scats for diet analysis with Aberdeen University, UK and hope soon to have a similar project on molecular scatology.  I am continuing with GPS tracking and camera trap work.

Diwan Royal Court, P.O. Box 246, Muscat 113, Oman

e-Mail: acedrc(a)omantel.net.om

T ++968 736-482, F ++968 740-550

Iran

Hormoz ASADI  1948-2008

Dr. Hormoz Asadi a renowned ecologist from Iran lost his life through a car accident while trans-locating a number of Persian Fallow deer at midnight of 9 January 2008. Dr. Asadi dedicated over 40 years of his life to protection of wildlife of Iran and other parts of the world such as Pakistan, Australia, Nepal, US, UAE, Eastern Africa, South East Asia and some European countries. He was involved in conservation of tigers in India for about 9 years. As a member of the IUCN/SSC Cat Specialists group he was the initiator of the modern conservation of Asiatic Cheetah in Iran 12 years ago. Dr. Asadi spent many years of his life protecting Asiatic Cheetah, Caspian seal and Persian Fallow deer. Asadi is a well-known name to numerous students who have directly been bestowed by his academic engagement or benefited from the results of his scientific endeavors. He has also been the head of the Caspian seal project and the Seal research center since 2006 in collaboration with Leeds University and Darwin Initiative. All his work has been of lasting effect on the body of knowledge in the whole field specially and most specifically on larger Mammals.                    Arash Ghoddoosi

Mohammad S. FARHADINIA, member since 2004

After studying human for four years at the Shahid Beheshti University in Teheran, I changed started to study natural resources in 2003. I have been involved in cheetah conservation in Iran since 2002 when together with colleagues I founded the NGO Iranian Cheetah Society. We are involved in many different projects, a.o. in the assessment of the ecology and population status of the Iranian cheetah and its associated species in Miandasht WR. In this wildlife reserve we also investigate human attitudes towards cheetahs and other carnivores. Since March 2005 we are also studying population status and ecology of the Persian leopard in Sarigol NA.

Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), No. 5, Shokrollah St., North Amirabad Ave., P.O. Box 14155-8549, Tehran 19988, Iran

e-Mail: msfarhadinia(a)iraniancheetah.org

T, F ++98 (21) 8800-5926

Behzad Kh. RAHGOSHAI, member since 2004

I gained my BSc in agriculture from the University of Tabriz in Iran. Currently I am engaged in a PhD program at the University of Toronto in Canada. I was the Deputy Project Manager of Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah Project 2001-2005, a joint project of Global Environment Facility/ UNDP and the Government of Iran/ Department of the Environment.  I received practical training in capturing and handling animals, radio-telemetry technology, and appropriate biological sampling and storage techniques from CCF Namibia. I have also been trained in camera trapping techniques by the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Apt. 707, 1, Clairtrell Road, North York M3N 7H6, Canada

e-Mail: b.rahgoshai(a)utoronto.ca

Hooshang ZIAIE

Asiatic Cheetah Project, Department of Environment,
Pardisan Eco Park - Hemmat Highway, Tehran, Iran

e-Mail: ziaie_ho(a)yahoo.com

T, F ++98 (21) 8826-9915

Alexander ESIPOV, member since 1995

Institute of Zoology, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Niyazov str., 1

Tashkent 700 095, Uzbekistan

e-Mail: esip(a)tkt.uz

T ++998 (712) 501-144, F ++998 (71) 120-6791