Rabinowitz-Kaplan Prize for the Next Generation in Wild Cat Conservation
2012 Prize Winner

Born in Iran, Mohammad Farhadinia was selected as the recipient of the 2012 Rabinowitz-Kaplan Prize for the Next Generation in Wild Cat Conservation. Engaged in wild cat conservation since the age of 16 when he began compiling a dataset of observations on the Asiatic cheetah, Mohammad studied the Asiatic cheetah and the Persian leopard while completing his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees at the University of Tehran. Mohammad has recently joined WildCRU as a doctoral student focussing his research on a comprehensive ecological investigation of the Persian leopard.

In 2001, Mohammad established the Iranian Cheetah Society (ICS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of cheetahs and other wild carnivores. Since its founding, the Society has become an important player in Iran’s wildlife conservation efforts, with projects focused on the Asiatic cheetah, the Persian leopard, and the brown bear. In 2008, Mohammad joined the Conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah Project (CACP) – a comprehensive conservation program established by Iran’s Department of the Environment (DOE), and carried out with Panthera, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the United Nations Development Programme. As a CACP consultant, Mohammad supervises research efforts, capacity building initiatives, student programs, and educational plans. He also leads Iran’s Persian leopard conservation efforts in the Caucasus, and has represented Iran in international meetings and symposia.

Learn more about the Iranian Cheetah Project.