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Snow Leopard Award 2021 goes to BWCDO

Pakistani NGO awarded for its commitment and success in snow leopard conservation

Thanks to the Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization, human-wildlife conflicts decreased and the snow leopard population stabilized in northern Pakistan. The NABU Snow Leopard Award 2021 goes to the members of the NGO. Well deserved!

Ghulam Mohammad, BWCDO representative, is awarded with the NABU Snow Leopard Award by Thomas Tennhardt, NABU Director International. - photo: NABU/ BWCDO

Ghulam Mohammad, BWCDO representative, is awarded with the NABU Snow Leopard Award by Thomas Tennhardt, NABU Director International. - photo: NABU/ BWCDO

May 31, 2022 - On silent paws, well camouflaged and rarely seen – the feared and revered "spirit of the mountains" faces the threat of extinction: As of today, only a few thousand snow leopard remain roaming the Asian high mountains. Retaliatory killing, poaching and habitat loss threaten their existence. But there is still hope: In Gilgit-Baltistan, where 80 percent of Pakistan's snow leopards live, the population of the rare big cats is gradually stabilizing. Over 90 snow leopards are now estimated to live in the region. This success is largely due to the commitment of the Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization (BWCDO), the winner of the NABU Snow Leopard Award 2021.

To protect snow leopards and human livelihoods simultaneously, BWCDO is pursuing an innovative twofold strategy: snow leopard-proof corrals and financial support. For the protection of grazing animals, its team supports the built of secure corrals that prevent snow leopards from preying on livestock. So far, nine predator-proof corrals have been built and more are planned. At the same time, NABU and BWCDO work together to provide financial compensation for local livestock owners when animal losses occur during grazing activities. With success: this combination of protection and compensation has helped to reduce hostility toward snow leopards and prevent killings of the rare big cat.



  • BWCDO builds snow leopard-proof corrals to protect livestock and prevent human-wildlife conflicts. - photo: BWCDO

  • Thanks to BWCDO's activities, the population of endangered snow leopards stabilized in Gilgit-Baltistan. - photo: Christian Martischius/Sara Schuh

  • During his stay in Germany, Ghulam Mohammad, CEO of BWCDO, met Jörg-Andreas Krüger, president of NABU, to exchange information about snow leopard conservation. - photo: NABU/ BWCDO

NABU has been working with BWCDO for the conservation of snow leopards and supports BWCDO with their sustainability initiatives, such as introducing eco-friendly bags in Gilgit-Baltistan. BWCDO not only focuses on protecting snow leopards but also on providing quality education in remote areas of Northern Pakistan, established through its sister organization Iqra Fund. The educational campaign aims at raising awareness for environmental protection in Pakistan, thus creating a safe haven for the endangered snow leopards.

Due to Covid restrictions the Snow Leopard Award 2021 is being presented to BWCDO only today: The award was ceremoniously handed over to Ghulam Mohammad, representative of BWCDO, during his official visit to NABU in Germany. During his stay, he also met Jörg-Andreas Krüger, NABU President, and Thomas Tennhardt, NABU Director International, to exchange information about snow leopard conservation in Pakistan. For the first time, the award is being presented to Pakistan and its due credit goes to BWCDO’s team in Skardu which relentlessly worked for the conservation of the majestic snow leopards. For its outstanding work, the Pakistani NGO furthermore received international recognition by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and was awarded with the Equator Prize 2017. It is led by Dr. Shafqat Hussain, Rolex Award Laureate, and managed by Ghulam Mohammad, CEO of BWCDO. We congratulate and thank the team of Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization for its passionate commitment to protect snow leopards and their habitat!


Young snow leopard - photo: Andreas Richter

The NABU Snow Leopard Award

Since 2018, the NABU Snow Leopard Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations that have shown exceptional commitment to protect the endangered big cat and its habitat. The prestigious award is endowed with 5,000 Euros. On the International Snow Leopard Day, October 23, 2021, BWCDO was declared the award winner of 2021. In previous years, the award went to the former President of Kyrgyzstan Rosa Otunbajewa, the Tajik NGO Burgut and the former ambassador of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan in Germany Erines Otorbaev .

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Snow leopards are the only big cats that cannot roar - photo: Andy Fabian
Protecting snow leopards

Snow leopards are among the most endangered big cats on earth. Only 4,000 to 6,400 animals now live in the wild. NABU has been committed to the survival of snow leopards in Kyrgyzstan since 1999 and has extended its commitment to Tajikistan, Pakistan and Nepal. more →

Tarsier in Indonesia - Foto: Lara Shirin Bienkowski
Asia

Mountains, deserts, rainforests: Asia has an incredible range of ecosystems and species. In Central Asia NABU has been active on the ground since the 1990s to protect those threatened paradises of nature. In South East Asia, NABU and its partners focus on protecting and restoring landscape-scale rainforests on Sumatra and Sulawesi. more →

Yaks in Kyrgyzstan
Sustainable Yak husbandry

NABU realises its project „Sustainable Yak husbandry in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan Mountains” as part of the Federal Environment Ministry's Advisory Assistance Programme in Middle and Eastern Europe states, Caucasus and Central Asia. more →

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Behzad Larry, director of HAHF, receives the Snow Leopard Award from Tolkunbek Asykulov, head of the NABU office in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. - photo: NABU Kyrgyzstan/ HAHF

Snow Leopard Award 2022

NABU awards the Snow Leopard Award to the High Asia Habitat Fund. Thanks to them, human-wildlife conflicts in Ladakh have noticeably decreased.

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Related Topics

Snow leopard in NABU's outdoor enclosure and rehab centre in Ananyevo | photo: Christian Martischius & Sara Sun Hee Schuh

Species

Science tells us that, worldwide, 26,000 species go extinct every year. The consequences of their extinction are non-predictable.

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Pupils at our educational center in Kyrgyzstan - photo: NABU Kyrgyzstan

Environmental Education

Conservation of natural resources can only succeed when people are educated about ecological matters, especially the younger generation.

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