International Snow Leopard Day was established on the initiative of countries that are part of the snow leopard's habitat.
On October 23, 2013, at the First World Snow Leopard Forum held in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), the Bishkek Declaration on the Conservation of the Snow Leopard was adopted.
It was signed by representatives of 12 countries of the snow leopard's habitat: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The first International Snow Leopard Day was celebrated on October 23, 2014. Its goal is to draw attention to the importance of protecting the snow leopard population, consolidate the efforts of environmental organizations in the snow leopard's habitat, and remind about the importance of taking measures to prevent poaching.
The snow leopard or snow leopard is otherwise known as the irbis - it is a mammal of the cat family. The body is elongated, squat. The body length is up to 130 cm, the tail length is 90-100 cm, the 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, lush. The color is smoky, brownish-gray, with large dark spots. Winter fur is grayish, almost white.
This unique animal is listed in the international Red Book due to its small numbers and the risk of becoming an endangered species. At present, the population of snow leopards in the world is from 4080 to 6590 individuals. The total number of leopards in Tajikistan is from 350 to 400 individuals. Hunting for snow leopards is prohibited in all countries where they live, the snow leopard is also listed in Appendix I of the CITES Convention (International Trade in Endangered Species and their Parts).
On October 14, 2024, the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan held an international conference on the conservation of snow leopard ecosystems in Dushanbe with the participation of representatives from 12 countries of the snow leopard's range. The conference featured presentations and reports on the conservation of snow leopard ecosystems, issues of monitoring and studying the snow leopard and its prey, and directions for cooperation at the regional and global levels.
