By Abdul Samad Tariq
ISLAMABAD, Oct 23 (APP): Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the endangered snow leopard and its fragile mountain ecosystem as the world marked International Snow Leopard Day on Thursday.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) said the government remained determined to protect the elusive big cat—often referred to as the “ghost of the mountains”—through closer collaboration with mountain communities, scientists and wildlife organisations.
“Together with mountain communities, scientists and conservation partners, Pakistan is committed to ensuring that the snow leopard continues to thrive as a symbol of resilience and ecological balance in our high mountains,” said Muhammad Saleem Shaikh, the ministry’s spokesperson and wildlife conservation advocacy specialist.
Observed each year on 23 October, International Snow Leopard Day is being marked under the theme “Safeguarding Snow Leopard Habitats for Future Generations”. The occasion aims to raise awareness and galvanise global action to protect the species, which faces mounting threats from climate change and human activity.
Globally, an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 snow leopards remain in the wild, spread across 12 countries in Central and South Asia, including Pakistan, India, China and Afghanistan. Given the species’ vast transboundary range, regional cooperation—through joint research, data-sharing and coordinated efforts to tackle poaching—remains essential for its survival.
In Pakistan, snow leopards inhabit more than 80,000 square kilometres across the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir and Himalayan mountain ranges, mostly in Gilgit-Baltistan and northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A recent national survey places the country’s population at roughly 167 individuals, providing the first reliable baseline for long-term conservation planning.
Pakistan is also an active member of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP), a regional alliance uniting all 12 range countries to preserve snow leopard habitats and promote sustainable development in the high mountains of Asia.
Talking to APP, Shaikh said rising temperatures, melting glaciers and changing vegetation patterns were steadily shrinking the species’ alpine habitat. “Overgrazing, depletion of prey species such as ibex and markhor, illegal hunting and retaliatory killings continue to undermine conservation efforts,” he warned.
He added that infrastructure expansion, mining and unregulated tourism had fragmented the animal’s range, while climate-induced habitat shifts were pushing the cats closer to human settlements—heightening the risk of conflict and poaching.
Protecting the snow leopard, Shaikh noted, required more than field interventions. “Awareness and advocacy campaigns in mountain communities can reduce retaliatory killings and promote coexistence through livestock insurance schemes, predator-proof corrals and community-based ecotourism,” he said.
Under the National Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme, the MoCC&EC is working with national and international partners on several initiatives, including community-based conservation projects in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. These schemes offer compensation and alternative livelihoods to herders, helping to reduce human-wildlife conflict.
The ministry is also expanding research and monitoring efforts with support from provincial wildlife departments, alongside youth awareness campaigns and regional cooperation to protect cross-border wildlife corridors. “These programmes have already begun to yield positive results by reducing conflict and strengthening monitoring in key habitats,” Shaikh noted.
He concluded by emphasising the need for continued advocacy and enforcement. “Effective implementation of wildlife protection laws, responsible tourism and climate-resilient development in high-altitude regions must remain national priorities,” he said.
Pakistan’s renewed commitment, he added, underlines the country’s growing recognition that biodiversity conservation and climate resilience are central to sustainable national development.