Later this month, on 22 October, high-level government delegations from all 12 snow leopard range countries will get together in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, for the Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum — a historic opportunity to save these endangered big cats!
The meeting promises to go down in history as a landmark date for snow leopards. On this day, heads of delegations from all 12 snow leopard range countries are expected to sign the Bishkek Declaration on the Conservation of Snow Leopards — an unprecedented commitment to ensuring a safe future for the endangered feline species!
The Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum’s goal is for all the range countries to sign a declaration committing to specific actions to ensure the survival of the endangered snow leopard, to support a comprehensive and unifying range-wide snow leopard conservation programme for Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, and to mobilise much needed funds to carry-out the conservation plans that will be established.
The Global Snow Leopard Forum is the result of an initiative by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Almazbek Atambaev. Modelling this event on the successful International Tiger Forum hosted in 2010 in St. Petersburg, President Atambaev is drawing on the experience of the Global Tiger Initiative, which is housed within the auspices of the World Bank. The Bank has encouraged the active involvement of the snow leopard conservation community including many leading NGOs and the Snow Leopard Network. As the preeminent conservation organisation solely focused on saving the critically endangered snow leopard, the Snow Leopard Trust is the Bank’s key technical partner in this initiative, playing a critical role in planning, organising, and facilitating the Global Forum.
Snow leopards face real threats in the wild. Poachers hunt the snow leopard for its fur and bones, and impoverished herding communities retaliate against the cat to protect their livestock. But there is real hope. At Snow Leopard Trust, we partner with the people sharing snow leopard habitat to create a brighter future for the cats:
When the forum convenes on 22 – 23 October, it is expected to result in:
- A signed declaration from every range country to support snow leopard conservation;
- A ‘Global Snow Leopard Conservation Programme’ that will facilitate conservation efforts across all range states;
- National plans for country-by-country implementation — even for countries that have never created snow leopard conservation plans in the past; and
- Operational and financial resources for snow leopards and the unique cultures and mountain ecosystems that support them.
Snow Leopard Trust will be represented in Bishkek by Brad Rutherford, Snow Leopard Trust’s Executive Director, who will be joined by the Trust’s Science and Conservation Director Charudutt Mishra, and Rhetick Sengupta, Vice-President of the Board of Directors. They will be available for interviews and comments during the Global Forum whenever their schedules allow.
(Source: Snow Leopard Trust press release, 10.10.2013)