Considering the challenging access to the southwestern part of the wetland and its historical connection to major habitats of large mammals in Iran, it seems that the biodiversity of Gavkhuni’s mammals in the past was very different from today. Some old-timers of the area even recall herds of Iranian cheetahs, deer, and boars.
Studies on the mammals of the wetland have been limited. The list of mammals introduced in this section is based on research by Dr. Mohammadreza Homami and his colleagues titled “Conservation Planning for Bird Species at Risk of Extinction in Gavkhuni Wetland Based on Focal Species Approach.”