On October 23, celebrates International Snow Leopard Day                

                                          

International Snow Leopard Day originates from the first International Forum on Snow Leopard Conservation, which took place on October 23, 2013 in Bishkek.

Representatives from 12 countries in the rare predator's range, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, China, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan and Russia, came together for the first time to join efforts to conserve the snow leopard. From the ancient Turkic language “irbiz” is translated as “snow cat”. This is the only modern representative of the cat family that lives exclusively in cold climates.

The snow leopard or snow leopard, otherwise known as the snow leopard, is a mammal of the cat family. The body is elongated and squat. Body length is up to 130 cm, tail length is 90-100 cm, height at the withers is 50-60 cm. The body weight of males, which are larger than females, reaches 45-55 kg, females - 22-40 kg. The fur is thick, the tail is long and fluffy. The color is smoky, brownish-gray, with large dark spots. Winter fur is grayish, almost white.

This unique animal is listed in the Red Book due to its small numbers and the risk of being among the endangered species. Hunting of the snow leopard is prohibited in all countries where it lives, and the snow leopard is also included in Appendix I of the CITES Convention (the international ban on trade in endangered species and their parts).

The rare color and value of the snow leopard's fur has led to the fact that it has become a tasty target for poachers who are willing to risk a lot for the sake of illegally hunting wild animals. In addition, the expansion of pastures and the expansion of livestock grazing zones in the countries of Central Asia into high mountain areas leads to the fact that the natural habitat of the snow leopard is narrowing.

Control of the population of the rare animal is carried out in countries whose territories occupy the snow leopard’s habitat, including through camera traps, due to the extreme caution of this beautiful wild cat.

To discuss the problem of population, decline and the threat of complete extinction of the snow leopard, the World Snow Leopard Conservation Forum was held in October 2013 in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek. Representatives of 12 states, on whose territory individuals of rare animals are found, took part in the discussion of the problem.

Among the countries participating in the forum was Tajikistan, on whose territory, according to scientists from the National Academy of Sciences, 280-300 snow leopards live. The total population of snow leopards in the world fluctuates around 3 thousand individuals.

The Republic of Tajikistan, as a country with snow leopards, has adopted the Bishkek Declaration.

At the national level, to protect snow leopard ecosystems, a national program has been developed to preserve snow leopard ecosystems in the face of climate change until 2030, and scientific work is being carried out to study the population of this species through the use of photo traps and drones.

The result of the discussions was the adoption on October 23, 2013 of a program for the conservation of a unique animal, formalized in the form of a Declaration. The date of adoption of this Bishkek Declaration was chosen as the date for the establishment of today's holiday.

The celebration of the Day takes place in scientific and educational institutions, where photo exhibitions, seminars, and screenings of documentaries dedicated to the life of the snow leopard are held. Activists organize events on social networks with the goal of expanding Internet users’ knowledge about the snow leopard, as the snow leopard is sometimes called, and raising the issue of the importance of preserving the unique species of animals on the planet.