Wildlife of
Iran

Primary Threats

• Rising temperatures and more frequent/intense droughts amplify Iran's existing aridity, stressing rangelands and accelerating desertification. Reduced snowpack and altered melt timing in the Zagros and Alborz affect downstream flows, worsening wetland shrinkage (e.g., endorheic basins and lake systems) and concentrating pollutants/salinity that impact migratory waterbirds and aquatic biodiversity.
• Conversion and degradation occur across multiple biomes: steppe and semi-desert rangelands are degraded by overgrazing; wetlands are lost or functionally degraded due to reduced inflows; Hyrcanian forests face edge effects and land-use pressure near the Caspian; and mountain habitats are fragmented by development. Habitat fragmentation is particularly consequential for wide-ranging species (Asiatic cheetah, Persian leopard, wild sheep/goat) whose remaining ranges are patchy and intersect human land use.
• Over-extraction of surface and groundwater for agriculture and cities lowers water tables and reduces river/wetland inflows, contributing to wetland desiccation, dust storms from exposed lakebeds, and loss of aquatic habitat. Intensive livestock use depletes rangeland vegetation cover, reducing forage for wild ungulates and increasing competition that cascades to predators.
• River regulation and damming, inter-basin transfers, wetland drainage, and channelization alter natural hydrology. In endorheic basins, reduced inflows can shift wetlands/lakes toward hypersalinity and collapse of reedbeds and shallow-water habitats critical for breeding and stopover birds; modified fire regimes and vegetation shifts also occur where grazing and drought interact.
• Expansion or intensification of irrigated farming in water-limited landscapes drives further groundwater withdrawal and conversion of steppe/wetland margins. Agricultural encroachment increases disturbance and fence/ditch barriers, and can remove natural prey base through habitat simplification, increasing conflict risks around protected areas.
• Roads, rail, pipelines, and expanding energy and industrial corridors fragment habitats and create mortality risk (vehicle collisions) for carnivores and ungulates. Fragmentation is a major issue for the remaining Asiatic cheetah range in central/eastern Iran, where roads and development dissect desert-steppe landscapes and complicate connectivity between protected areas.
• Illegal hunting of wild sheep and goats, gazelles, and other ungulates persists in some regions, reducing prey availability for large carnivores and destabilizing populations. Even where legal hunting is regulated, enforcement challenges and local demand can lead to unsustainable offtake, especially in remote mountainous terrain.
• Predation on livestock by Persian leopards, wolves, and other carnivores can lead to retaliatory killing, particularly where grazing occurs inside or adjacent to protected areas. Competition between livestock and wild ungulates can also trigger conflict narratives and pressure to reduce predator numbers or restrict wildlife movements.
• Industrial and urban effluents, agricultural runoff, and solid waste affect rivers, wetlands, and coastal zones. In closed or low-flow basins, pollutant concentrations rise during drought, harming aquatic life and increasing disease risk for waterbirds; oil and petrochemical activities in coastal areas add spill and contamination risks.
• Illegal capture and trade affect sensitive species such as falcons/raptors used in falconry markets and some reptiles and songbirds. Trade pressure can be particularly damaging where populations are already fragmented and where cross-border trafficking routes are active.
• In the Hyrcanian forests along the Caspian, forest degradation can occur via illegal logging, fuelwood collection, and road access that increases edge effects and settlement pressure. Even where harvest restrictions exist, enforcement and local dependence on forest resources can still lead to localized habitat degradation affecting forest specialists.
• Mining (and associated roads, settlements, and water use) can disturb arid and mountainous habitats, generating dust, noise, and localized contamination. In sparsely vegetated desert-steppe systems, reclamation is slow, and disturbance footprints can persist, increasing fragmentation and reducing habitat quality for wide-ranging wildlife.
• High recreational and development pressure near urban centers (notably around the Alborz) increases disturbance in accessible protected areas. Disturbance around wetlands (boating, fishing, reed cutting, shoreline development) can disrupt breeding colonies and migratory staging birds.
• Non-native fish introductions in some water bodies and altered ecosystems can displace native species and change food webs; invasive plants can spread in disturbed riparian/wetland margins. Impacts are most pronounced where hydrological change and pollution create conditions favorable to invasives.
• Disease risks arise where wildlife, livestock, and domestic dogs overlap-particularly in rangelands and around protected areas-affecting ungulates and carnivores. Drought-driven crowding at scarce water sources can elevate transmission among wildlife and increase mortality during harsh years.
• In parts of the Caspian and Persian Gulf, fishing pressure (including illegal or unreported catch) can reduce fish stocks and alter coastal food webs. This can indirectly affect seabirds and coastal biodiversity and may interact with pollution and habitat degradation in estuaries and lagoons.
• Urban expansion and associated water demand intensify habitat conversion near major cities and along transportation corridors. Sprawl increases fragmentation, elevates roadkill risk, and pushes recreational disturbance into nearby mountains and forests.