▁study ▁performed ▁in ▁Africa ▁found ▁that ▁dens ities ▁of ▁the ▁z eb ra , ▁another ▁her b iv ore ▁with ▁a ▁di et ▁similar ▁to ▁cattle ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁fall ow ▁de er , ▁increased ▁by ▁ 4 6 % ▁on ▁average ▁when ▁cattle ▁were ▁removed ▁from ▁a ▁region , ▁which ▁indicates ▁that ▁cattle ▁are ▁strong ▁compet itors ▁for ▁food ▁and ▁may ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁ex ert ▁compet itive ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁fall ow ▁de er . ▁ ▁Population ▁decl ine ▁Due ▁to ▁these ▁factors , ▁the ▁overall ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁fall ow ▁de er ▁l inger ed ▁around ▁ 2 5 0 ▁individuals ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁and ▁suff ers ▁from ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁small ▁population ▁size , ▁not ably ▁in bre eding . ▁Gen etic ▁variation ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁concern ▁in ▁small ▁populations ▁because ▁in bre eding ▁can ▁cause ▁further ▁loss ▁of ▁gen etic ▁variation , ▁an ▁effect ▁known ▁as ▁in bre eding ▁de pression . ▁ ▁For ▁Pers ian ▁fall ow ▁de er , ▁little ▁gen etic ▁variation ▁exists ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁species ▁because ▁all ▁the ▁animals ▁that ▁currently ▁exist ▁were ▁b red ▁from ▁a ▁relatively ▁small ▁surv iving ▁group ▁that ▁was ▁found ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁wild ; ▁gen etic ▁studies ▁have ▁shown ▁that ▁the ▁individuals ▁alive ▁today ▁are ▁similar ▁in ▁ 9 5 % ▁of ▁their ▁gen es . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁conservation ▁The ▁first ▁actions ▁taken ▁to ▁help ▁con serve ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁fall ow ▁de er ▁were ▁the