Kavir National Park

Kavir National Park is a protected ecological zone in northern Iran. It has an area of 4,000 square kilometers (1,500 mile²). The park is located 120 kilometers south of Tehran and 100 kilometers east of Qom, and it sits on the western end of the Dasht-e Kavir (Great Salt Desert).

The park encompasses landscapes of desert and steppes, and is sometimes known as "Little Africa" for its safari-like wildlife, including native goats (Capra aegagrus), sheep (Ovis orientalis), striped hyenas, Indian wolves, gazelles, the Asiatic cheetahs, and the Persian leopards. Namak Lake (Salt Lake) sits immediately outside the park boundaries. This is actually a salt marsh.

Environment
Local authorities consider insufficient labor force, excessive use of land to graze cattle and illegal hunting as the main problems the park is faced with. Despite the vastness of the park, only 30 rangers work there under the most difficult conditions and for minimum wage. A more detailed look, however, reveals that there are graver problems than those mentioned by the authorities:

The major oil projects currently being implemented in the park are believed will eventually turn the area into a salt land. The area is frequently used for military maneuvers.

The park is sometimes host to car racing competitions, which, together with the military maneuvers, have led many unique animal species, such as the Persian zebras and the Asian cheetahs to flee the area as they do not feel secure anymore.