Asiatic cheetah Telma spotted with two cubs in Turan Biosphere Reserve

A seven-year-old female Asiatic cheetah named Telma has been spotted in the Turan Biosphere Reserve in Semnan province, accompanied by two year-old cubs. This sighting is considered a significant and hopeful event for the monitoring of the critically endangered species.

Saeed Yousefpour, the Director General of Environmental Protection in Semnan, reported that rangers successfully documented the family. Telma was previously recorded in the Ozom region of North Khorasan province earlier this spring. Her return to the Turan habitat with offspring is seen as an indicator of the environmental health and vitality of the reserve.

Authorities noted that the release of specific images has been delayed to maintain conservation protocols and prevent disturbances to the natural life cycle of the cheetah family. The presence of healthy cubs is a positive sign, as mother cheetahs typically reject offspring with physical abnormalities.