Animal rights activists all over the world mourn the loss of little Pirouz. The Asiatic cheetah was a small miracle when it was born in Iran in 2022. Pirouz was the only one from the litter to survive and gave hope for the preservation of the species, which is extremely endangered. The animals are only found in Iran, the species is also becoming Called Iranian cheetah. The government there estimates that only twelve specimens are still alive.
Asiatic cheetah Pirouz dies
Pirouz was born in a zoo in Semnan near Tehran by caesarean section. His mother rejected the offspring, his two siblings died just a few days after birth. Pirouz fought on as the only survivor and received help from the park’s keepers. But he also had health problems. A few days ago he had to be transferred to a veterinary clinic because of kidney disease, reports “Al Jazeera“.
His only chance of survival was surgery. However, the young Asiatic cheetah died during the procedure. His kidneys failed completely. Pirouz was only ten months old and was a real celebrity in Iran. It was considered a symbol of hope. However, his upbringing was determined by many hurdles, the reason for which many animal rights activists in the country’s government see.
Animal rights activists angry at government in Iran
For example, Pirouz was raised and fed by people who had no experience with cheetahs. Trained staff was difficult to find at the time because the country has been in a state of emergency since 2018. Since then, the population has been protesting against the regime, and the demonstrations are often violently suppressed. In addition, numerous animal rights and environmental activists were arrested in 2018, including the Iranian cheetah expert Houman Jokar.
Jokar was sentenced to eight years in prison for allegedly cooperating with enemy governments. Animal rights activists from around the world called for his release, without success. They blame the Iranian government for the extinction of the rare Asiatic cheetah. Arrests and repression by animal rights activists would have destroyed environmental efforts and prevented Pirouz from being properly cared for.
