Only 17 specimens of the endangered Asiatic cheetah are left in the world, according to the head of Iran's national environment agency, Shina Ansari. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

Most wild cheetahs exist in fragmented populations in pockets of Africa, occupying a mere 9 percent of their historic range. In Iran, fewer than 50 Asiatic cheetahs (a sub-species) remain.

Only 17 specimens of the endangered Asiatic cheetah are left in the world, according to the head of Iran's national environment agency, Shina Ansari.