The Persian fallow deer is a prominent mammal in Iran, which is among protected species of the Department of Environment and also listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The population of the species today is semi-captive and limited to the national park and the protected area of Dez and Karkheh in Khuzestan Province, Ashk Island in Lake Urmia and a number of other breeding sites in different provinces.
With the Covid-19 outbreak in Iran, additional pressures mainly due to the closure of local businesses and the loss of the tourism industry in the area caused widespread threats and destruction in the deer released area. The threats included the destruction of vegetation and cutting trees for charcoal, uncontrolled hunting of a variety of living species in the target area, which mostly included birds, and reduced security and biodiversity levels in the area. On the other hand, a failure to recognize the values of the species in their marginal habitats caused widespread threats to the survival of the species in the target area.
The project objectives include, training local communities and beneficiaries around the target area to protect the Persian fallow deer, empowerment and capacity building among NGOs and organizations working in the region in order to help preserve the habitat and the species, and increased level of security in the target area in order to create suitable conditions for the presence of the species during periods of release and reproduction.