Saving the Last Asiatic Cheetah: Lobat Asadi’s Innovative Conservation Efforts Through Art and Film

Dr. Lobat Asadi is a multifaceted individual with a passion for conservation and education. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Education and is a lecturer for Harvard University. She is also a writer, dancer, musician, and budding actress who has landed a lead role in the feature film “Snatched” by Grand Concourse Films.

Lobat is the Creative Director of the Asiatic Cheetah Conservation Project (ACCP), an innovative conservation effort that was founded by Iranian wildlife conservationist Dr. Hormoz Asadi. The project consists of artistic collaborations, books, and films inspired by Lobat’s real-life experiences with Asiatic cheetahs. These animals are critically endangered, with less than 35 remaining in Iran.

One of the ACCP’s most timely projects is a documentary film entitled “The Last Cheetah,” currently in production. The film stars National Geographic award-winning wildlife conservationist and is a deep dive into the challenges of saving cheetahs in Iran, including the saga of nine imprisoned Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation conservationists. Unfortunately, these conservationists have been in Evin prison in Iran since 2019, the same jail where the Islamic Republic of Iran has been detaining and executing protesters at an alarming rate, following the murder of Mahsa Amini in 2022.

In addition to “The Last Cheetah,” the ACCP’s first fruit promises to be a lighter-themed children’s book, “Marita the Cheetah.” Based on the true story of an orphaned cheetah cub saved by Lobat’s father in Iran, the book is written poetically with dreamlike illustrations. “Marita the Cheetah” will be published in August 2023 by All She Wrote and distributed by Ingram Publishers. An audio version of the book is planned, and discussions for a short animation film capturing the story’s essence are also underway.

In her spare time, Lobat is working on a feature film script based on her life growing up with a risk-taking, big cat conservationist father. She describes it as “Tim Burton’s Big Fish meets Argo, flavored with National Geographic.”

To stay updated on Lobat’s multimedia cheetah conservation project, sign up for her mailing list by visiting her website at www.lobatasadi.com. For acting, public speaking, Asiatic cheetah expertise, and Middle Eastern cultural research and advising for film and media, please contact [email protected].

You can also find Lobat on social media, including IMDB, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

In summary, Lobat Asadi is a remarkable individual with a diverse set of skills and passions. Through her work with the ACCP, she is helping to raise awareness of the critical situation facing Asiatic cheetahs and promote conservation efforts. With projects such as “The Last Cheetah” and “Marita the Cheetah,” she is using her artistic talents to inspire and educate both children and adults. We look forward to seeing what Lobat will accomplish in the future and wish her all the best in her endeavors.