What does CACP mean in CONSERVATION

CACP stands for Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project. It is a project aimed at preserving and protecting the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah population in Iran.

The project is run by the Iranian Department of Environment and implemented by UNDP-Iran in cooperation with a number of local and international partners.

CACP works towards protecting cheetahs through research on their habitat, behaviour, population dynamics, threats, conservation measures and human-cheetah conflicts mitigation. Additionally, it implements conservation initiatives such as anti-poaching activities, educational programmes for local communities, capacity building for law enforcement rangers, lobbying for legal protection of their habitats etc.

So far, there is no evidence that CACP has increased cheetah populations in Iran, however they have been successful in creating greater awareness amongst local communities which has helped reduce human conflict with cheetahs and other wildlife species. They have also helped increase patrolling efforts to prevent poaching, which may help improve survival rates of adult cheetahs as well as cubs that are often targeted by hunters.