The recent camera trap video of Mahshad and her four cubs in Touran National Park was captured at the same location where we recorded her with her mother, Harb, and another cub in September 2021 (above photo in left pic).
That photo marked the first sighting of Harb and her cubs after more than a year. Over the following year, Mahshad was frequently recorded alongside her mother in various parts of the park. Evidence suggests that Harb lost one of her cubs and spent the subsequent year, until autumn 2022, teaching her daughter how to navigate the park’s landscape.
Harb’s movement patterns indicate that she likely gave birth in the western part of the protected area before moving into the national park with her cubs. Interestingly, Mahshad has closely followed her mother’s movement patterns—giving birth in the same area, entering the park through the same routes, and using similar paths when moving alone (see right pic). Future data on Mahshad’s movements with her cubs will help us determine how much she continues to replicate her mother’s pattern.
Meanwhile, based on available observations, other females have established their territories completely separate from their mothers.
I sincerely hope that Mahshad successfully raises all four of her cubs. However, records show that other cheetahs, such as Khorshid and Helia, lost two out of their four cubs before they reached independence (Helia even lost a third cub in a road accident). In another case involving a female with four cubs, we lack information on how many of her cubs survived since she quickly left the protected area and moved into an unprotected zone.
❌ ❌ Cub mortality appears to be a significant challenge for female Asiatic cheetahs, and further research is needed to understand the underlying causes as soon as possible.
📷 : Iranian Cheetah Society- Department of Environment