Miandasht Wildlife Refuge, Protected wildlife reserve in North Khorasan Province, Iran.
Miandasht Wildlife Refuge is a nature reserve in North Khorasan Province, in northeastern Iran, made up of dry plains, rolling hills, and semi-desert terrain. The land moves between flat lowlands and higher ground, offering habitat to rare wildlife including large predators and hoofed animals.
The refuge was designated in 1975 by Iran's Department of Environment to protect the region's wildlife. It was among the first areas in the country to receive this kind of formal protection for endangered species.
Miandasht is known as one of the last places in Iran where the Asiatic cheetah can still be seen in the wild. Rangers and researchers are regularly present on site, and visitors may occasionally observe their fieldwork.
The area is remote and tracks are often unpaved, so a vehicle with good clearance and enough water are strongly advisable. The best conditions for spotting wildlife are in the early morning or at dusk, when animals are most active.
The Asiatic cheetah is one of the rarest cats in the world, and Iran is now almost the only country where it still survives. Miandasht is one of the handful of places in the country where individuals have been recorded in recent years.
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