By Hina Kiyani
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan marked International Snow Leopard Day on Thursday with a symbolic 23-minute hike along Islamabad’s scenic Trail 5, joining a global movement to raise awareness for the conservation of the endangered big cat.
The event formed part of the worldwide #23for 23–23 Minutes for Snow Leopards campaign, which encourages individuals across snow leopard range countries to dedicate 23 minutes of physical activity to symbolize the animal’s strength, balance and endurance.
Jointly organized by the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) Pakistan, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC), the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) and the Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR), the event drew a large turnout of government officials, students, academics, conservationists and media representatives.
Pakistan treks for the ‘Ghost of the Mountains’ on Snow Leopard Day
Addressing participants, Haseena Anbarin, Deputy Inspector General at the MoCC&EC, described the snow leopard as “a magnificent creature and a symbol of balance and resilience in nature”. She said that protecting the species also meant protecting entire mountain ecosystems—“the rivers, glaciers, forests and communities that depend on them”. Anbarin said the campaign had brought together people from Kyrgyzstan to Nepal, Mongolia to Pakistan, in a shared effort to highlight the species’ plight. “Every step we take together for nature counts,” she said, urging participants to share their experiences online to spread the conservation message further.
Dr Tariq Mahmood, Associate Professor at PMAS-AAUR’s Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, stressed the snow leopard’s ecological importance as an apex predator.
“It sits at the top of the mountain food chain, maintaining ecological balance and biodiversity. Yet its global population continues to decline due to climate change and human pressures,” he said.
Dr Jaffar Ud Din, Deputy Director of the Snow Leopard Foundation, said the organization was working across Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral and Azad Jammu & Kashmir to conserve the species and mitigate human-wildlife conflict. “This global day of action, guided by the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP), is being celebrated simultaneously across Pakistan’s snow leopard range regions,” he noted.
Sakhawat Ali, Director of the IWMB, praised the collaboration between partner institutions. “Commemorating this day reminds us of our responsibility to protect high-altitude wildlife and their fragile habitats,” he said.
The Snow Leopard Foundation has been at the forefront of Pakistan’s conservation efforts through research, community engagement and awareness initiatives.
Earlier this year, the organisation completed the country’s first-ever Snow Leopard Population Census, providing scientifically verified data on the animal’s distribution and population numbers.
The hike concluded with participants sharing photographs and reflections online using the hashtag #23for23, joining a global movement celebrating the resilience and mystique of the “Ghost of the Mountains.”
