The NABU Snow Leopard Award

Award for outstanding contribution to snow leopard conservation goes to Tajikistan

The NABU Snow Leopard Award recognises people and organisations that have made an extraordinary contribution to the protection of the endangered big cat. Davlatkhon Mulloyorov has received the ‘Snow Leopard Award 2024’.

NABU traditionally awards this conservation prize on 23 October - International Snow Leopard Day. In 2024, the award goes to Davlatkhon Mulloyorov from Tajikistan. With this award, NABU honours Mulloyorov's extraordinary commitment to the protection of the snow leopard and the sustainable management of natural resources in his home region.

Davlatkhon Mulloyorov comes from the village Zighar on the Tajik-Afghan border and has dedicated himself to protecting the endangered snow leopard since the late 1990s. He works in the ‘M-Sayod’ nature reserve, which today provides a habitat for snow leopards and their prey in this region. As habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to snow leopards, such safe hideaways are of vast importance! Mulloyorov's commitment has made the region a role model for successful species conservation and has helped the snow leopard population to make a significant recovery.

The nominations for the 2024 Snow Leopard Award came from the fields of politics, international nature conservation, science, art and journalism. Davlatkhon Mulloyorov stood out among all the candidates with his significant conservation successes.

The previous award winners at a glance

The prizewinner Davlatkhon Mulloyorov finds himself in good company. Many renowned conservationists and organisations have received the Snow Leopard Award before him. We present all the previous winners below.

India: High Asia Habitat Fund

Conflicts between humans and wild animals are on the decline

Only around 300 snow leopards still live in India. Thanks to the High Asia Habitat Fund, human-wildlife conflicts, one of the gravest threats to the big cat, have decreased in Ladakh, India. The conservation organisation High Asia Habitat Fund (HAHF), which was only founded in 2020, has already done outstanding work to protect the endangered snow leopard in a very short space of time.

This is why the 2022 NABU Snow Leopard Award went to the conservation organisation's team.

Northern Pakistan: Nature conservation organisation BWCDO

Snow leopard population stable - thanks to Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization

For over two decades, the Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization has been working to ensure that people, snow leopards and their prey can live peacefully side by side in the high mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan. 

Thanks to the Baltistan Wildlife Conservation and Development Organization, human-animal conflicts in Baltistan have decreased: Over 90 snow leopards inhabit the region. The NABU Snow Leopard Award 2021 went to the team members of BWCDO. Well deserved! 

Kyrgyzstan: Erines Otorbaev

Departing Kyrgyz ambassador receives snow leopard prize

In the 1980s, there were still around 1,400 snow leopards living in Kyrgyzstan, today there are only around 300. The fact that there are not even fewer animals is thanks to the diplomatic skills of Erines Otorbaev: The 2020 Snow Leopard Prize winner is a pioneer of international species conservation. 

Erines Otorbaev has been advocating for snow leopard conservation across national borders since 1984. The key in the fight against poaching and other threats is the multinational cooperation of all twelve countries in the animals' range.

Tajikistan: Burgut

Exemplary commitment of the Tajik association

The community-based Tajik wildlife conservation association Burgut was honoured with the 2019 Snow Leopard Award. In his laudatory speech, NABU Director of International Department Thomas Tennhardt praised the outstanding commitment of the wildlife conservation association and the local communities to protecting nature.  

Burgut shows how communities can successfully combine nature conservation and sustainable development in their region. The organisation leases land, designates it a protected wildlife area and prevents grazing and poaching through patrols and educational work. 

Kyrgyzstan: Rosa Otunbayeva

Snow leopard prize for former Kyrgyz president

The first snow leopard prize was awarded to the former Kyrgyz President Rosa Otunbayeva.

Thanks to Otunbayeva, major steps have since been taken towards internationally standardised snow leopard protection. A secretariat has been set up to coordinate cooperation, numerous habitats have been identified and placed under protection, two of which are coordinated by NABU. Otunbayeva's involvement in the implementation of the first International Snow Leopard Forum in 2013 is particularly noteworthy. 

Impressions: snow leopard conservation in action

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