ISLAMABAD, Thursday, October 23, 2025 (WNP): Pakistan has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the endangered snow leopard and preserving 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 remains determined to protect the elusive big cat—often referred to as the “ghost of the mountains”—through stronger collaboration with mountain communities, scientists, and conservation 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, spokesperson for the ministry and wildlife conservation advocacy specialist.

Observed annually on October 23, International Snow Leopard Day is being marked this year under the theme “Safeguarding Snow Leopard Habitats for Future Generations.” The day aims to raise awareness and mobilise global action to protect the species, which faces intensifying threats from climate change and human encroachment.

Globally, between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards are estimated to remain in the wild 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 anti-poaching efforts is considered crucial for its long-term survival.

In Pakistan, snow leopards inhabit more than 80,000 square kilometres across the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir, and Himalayan ranges, primarily in Gilgit-Baltistan and northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A recent national survey estimates the country’s population at around 167 individuals, offering the first reliable baseline for future conservation planning.

Pakistan is also an active member of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP)—a regional alliance of 12 range countries working to preserve snow leopard habitats and promote sustainable development in the high mountains of Asia.

Shaikh warned that rising temperatures, melting glaciers, and shifting vegetation patterns are shrinking the snow leopard’s alpine habitat. “Overgrazing, depletion of prey species such as ibex and markhor, illegal hunting, and retaliatory killings continue to undermine conservation efforts,” he said.

He added that infrastructure expansion, mining, and unregulated tourism have fragmented the species’ habitat, while climate-induced changes are pushing the cats closer to human settlements—heightening risks of conflict and poaching.

Protecting the snow leopard, Shaikh stressed, requires more than field-based measures. “Awareness and advocacy campaigns in mountain communities can help reduce retaliatory killings and promote coexistence through livestock insurance schemes, predator-proof corrals, and community-based ecotourism,” he noted.

Under the National Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme, the ministry is working with national and international partners on several projects, including community-led conservation initiatives in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. These programmes offer compensation and alternative livelihoods to herders, reducing human-wildlife conflict and strengthening community ownership.

The ministry is also expanding research and monitoring efforts with provincial wildlife departments, alongside youth engagement campaigns and cross-border cooperation to protect wildlife corridors. “These programmes have already begun yielding encouraging results by lowering conflict rates and improving habitat monitoring,” Shaikh said.

He concluded by emphasising the need for sustained action. “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 pledge, he added, highlights the country’s growing recognition that biodiversity conservation and climate resilience are integral to sustainable national development.