Hyva the Asiatic Cheetah Was Never Captured Alive, Says Semnan Environment Chief
According to KhabarOnline, following the publication of a report about the live capture and confinement of the Asiatic cheetah “Hyva” at the breeding center in Semnan, Saeed Youssefpour, the province’s director general of environmental protection, responded to the allegations.
According to KhabarOnline, he claimed that “Hyva” had never been captured alive. He said any live capture or transfer of cheetahs must be approved by the National Asiatic Cheetah Commission, and no such approval had been issued in Hyva’s case.
According to KhabarOnline, Youssefpour also said Hyva had been roaming around the captive-breeding site and, after the entrance gate was opened in January and again in March last year, entered the compound. However, it showed no inclination to go into the enclosures or to interact with the female cheetahs, and after some time left the area.
According to KhabarOnline, he explained that although some had suggested capturing or sedating Hyva to assess its physical condition and reproductive capability, such action was not taken because of the risk of causing stress to the animal.
According to KhabarOnline, the controversy began last week, when a report citing informed sources and referring to available photos and videos said a young male cheetah named Hyva had been captured alive last winter, transferred to the captive-breeding center for an extended period, and later released. One official also described the move as a result of ignorance.
According to KhabarOnline, five female cheetahs are currently kept at the captive-breeding site: “Touran,” “Azar,” and “Abrisham,” which are fertile, and “Delbar” and “Iran,” which are infertile. Among the male cheetahs, only “Firooz” remains at the center, but specialists say he is now somewhat too old to reproduce naturally.
According to KhabarOnline, Youssefpour had also stressed that the presence of a young male cheetah at the captive-breeding center is necessary, but any decision to capture one from the wild must follow expert review and be approved by the national cheetah committee.
