NABU
  • Contacts
  • Press
  • Shop
  • DE | EN
  • About us
      • Safeguards
        Our commitment: avoiding, minimising and compensating environmental and social risks

        Key tool: The external Communication and Grievance Mechanism more →

      • Sustainable Development Goals
        Charting the way to a better future

        NABU and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals more →

      • About us
      • Who we are
      • Contacts
      • Transparency
      • Cooperations
      • Data Protection
      • Explore our projects
      • AfriEvolve
      • Hutan Harapan
      • LIFE Multi Peat
      • Coffee-novation
      • Further projects
  • Topics
      • Climate Smart Agriculture
        Capacity development for green NGOs in Africa

        Capacity development for green NGOs in Africa more →

      • Protecting snow leopards
        NABU's rehabilitation facility for injured wildlife in Kyrgyzstan

        NABU's rehab facility for injured wildlife in Kyrgyzstan more →

      • All Topics
      • Climate Change
      • Biodiversity
      • Species
      • Regional Development
      • Ecosystems
      • Traffic
      • Land Use
      • Protected Areas
      • Education
      • Civil Society
      • Cooperations
  • Focus Regions
      • Africa
        Find out where and how NABU is active in Africa

        Find out where and how NABU is active in Africa more →

      • Asia
        NABU is active in Southeast Asia and Central Asia: We implement nature conservation projects in both regions

        NABU is active in Southeast Asia and Central Asia more →

      • Where we work
      • Europe
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Caucasus
      • Projects worldwide
      • Germany: Havel
      • Latvia/Finland: Peatlands
      • Ethiopia: Coffee-novation
      • Armenia: Mountains
      • Madagascar: Green coasts
      • Kyrgyzstan: Snow leopard
      • Indonesia: Hutan Harapan
  • EU Policy
      • Make Peatlands Wet Again
        A project to restore and manage peatlands in Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany

        What Europe needs? Wet peatlands and a strong European peatland policy! more →

      • Sustainable Agriculture
        For an eco-friendly agriculture

        For an eco-friendly agriculture in Europe more →

      • Topics
      • Agriculture
      • Ecosystems
      • Traffic
      • Species
      • Education
      • Climate change
      • Issues
      • Common Agricultural Policy
      • NABU Cruise Ranking
      • Offshore wind study
      • Sustainable Finance
  • Get involved
      • Snow leopards
        Support us with your donation or adoption

        Hoping is not enough more →

      • Africa
        Nature conservation and regional development really have an impact – NABU knows this and acts on it.

        Help Africa’s nature by supporting one of our funds more →

      • Topics
      • Civil Society
      • Private Sector Cooperations
      • Environmental Education
      • Donate
      • Snow Leopards
      • Africa
  • Press
  1. Topics
  2. Species
  3. Snow Leopard
  • Snow leopards
  • Safe haven for snow leopards
  • Sustainable Yak husbandry
Read

Protecting snow leopards

Wild, beautiful and endangered

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.

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

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

Snow leopards are among the most endangered big cats on earth. In Kyrgyzstan, where some 1,400 animals roamed the mountain ranges in the 1980s, only about 250 snow leopards are estimated to live in the country today. Although poaching has long been forbidden by law, they are still ruthlessly hunted and their habitat continues to be encroached upon by humans.

NABU's commitment to the protection of big cats in Kyrgyzstan goes back to the '90s. Since 1999, the anti­poacher unit "Gruppa Bars" in Kyrgyzstan is taking action against poaching and illegal trade, and various environmental education programmes are contributing to raising awareness. "Gruppa Bars" has already confiscated scores of snow leopard skins and bones and freed living snow leopards from foothold traps. Dozens of poachers have been arrested and convicted. In the patrol area of the "Gruppa Bars", poaching has declined significantly. Together with the Kyrgyz government, NABU is also working on recording data on snow leopards nationwide and agreeing on trans­national protective measures at the Snow Leopard Conference.

NABU has now extended its commitment to the protection of snow leopards to Tajikistan, Pakistan and Nepal, where the association is working with partner organisations on a community-oriented basis and is working to prevent human-animal conflicts. The goal is to improve the image of the snow leopards, for example through burglar-proof stables for domestic animal herds and an insurance system for cattle ranchers.


NABU commitment to the snow leopard at these levels

➣ In Kyrgyzstan a specially trained anti-poaching unit, the "Gruppa Bars", puts a stop to poachers
➣ Injured animals are cared for in a new rehabilitation centre in Suluu-Terek
➣ In the local communities, environmental education ensures the necessary acceptance
➣ We help to improve the management of protected areas and pastures
➣ Monitoring work contributes to the study of 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 - photo: Andy Fabian

    Snow leopards are among the most endangered big cats on earth. Only 4,000 to 6,400 animals now live in the wild - photo: Andy Fabian

  • The ranger group Gruppa Bars on the road in the mountains

    The ranger group “Gruppa Bars“ on the road in the mountains. The anti­poacher unit is taking action against poaching and illegal trade - photo: NABU/ Klemens Karkow

  • The work of the “Gruppa Bars“ is proving successful: with their help, more than 70 skins and several hundred weapons and traps have been confiscated - photo: NABU

    The work of the “Gruppa Bars“ is proving successful: with their help, more than 70 skins and several hundred weapons and traps have been confiscated - photo: NABU

  • A traditional yurt next to the environmental education centre in Kyrgyzstan, which was opened in 2018 - photo: UINI/ NABU

  • You can only protect what you know well. As part of its monitoring work, NABU employees setting up a photo trap in Kyrgyzstan - photo: Klemens Karkow

    You can only protect what you know well. As part of its monitoring work, NABU employees setting up a photo trap in Kyrgyzstan - photo: Klemens Karkow

  • Since 2013, NABU has been helping to determine the size of the snow leopard population in Kyrgyzstan and to test the effectiveness of protection efforts - photo: NABU

    Since 2013, NABU has been helping to determine the size of the snow leopard population in Kyrgyzstan and to test the effectiveness of protection efforts - photo: NABU

  • The snow leopard has many fans in Kyrgyzstan: Flashmob in Bishkek on the International Snow Leopard Day 2018  - photo: NABU

    The snow leopard has many fans in Kyrgyzstan: Flashmob in Bishkek on the International Snow Leopard Day 2018 - photo: NABU

  • NABU staff member Nurzat Iskakova. Through environmental education, we are doing educational work with cattle herders, pupils and the local population - photo: NABU

    NABU staff member Nurzat Iskakova. Through environmental education, we are doing educational work with cattle herders, pupils and the local population - photo: NABU

  • Participants of the second snow leopard summit which took place in Bishkek in 2017 - photo: NABU/ Johanna Huth

    Participants of the second snow leopard summit which took place in Bishkek in 2017 - photo: NABU/ Johanna Huth

  • In 2020, former Kyrgyz Ambassador Erines Otorbaev receives the Snow Leopard Award for his extraordinary contribution to the endangered big cat - photo: NABU/ Marco Philippi

    In 2020, former Kyrgyz Ambassador Erines Otorbaev receives the Snow Leopard Award for his extraordinary contribution to the endangered big cat - photo: NABU/ Marco Philippi

more

Caucasus Mountains - photo: Sergei Trepet
Mountains - Vulnerable giants

Mountains inspire and challenge us. Their biodiverse and fragile ecosystems provide indispensable services to humanity. However, these regions are vulnerable to the impact of the climate crisis and land use. NABU works tirelessly to protect these landscapes. more →

Tarsier in Indonesia - photo: Lara Shirin Bienkowski
Asia

Mountains, deserts, rainforests: Asia has an incredible range of ecosystems and species in need of conservation. In Central Asia, NABU has been active on the ground since the 1990s. In Southeast Asia, NABU and its partners focus on protecting and restoring rainforests in Sumatra and Sulawesi. more →

Domestic Yaks in Kyrgyzstan
The Yak

The Yak is one of five domesticated bovine species and occurs widely in Central Asia. The breed is differentiated in the Wild Yak, which can be found on the list for endangered species, and the domestic yak held by Central Asian people. 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 →

Contact

Katja Kaupisch - Foto: NABU
Katja Kaupisch
Team Leader Central Asia/Eastern Europe katja.kaupisch@nabu.de

download

NABU Kyrgyzstan: Activity Report 2010-2020 PDF (3.1 MB)

READ MORE

New rehabilitation centre in Suluu-Terek: NABU Kyrgyzstan/ Alimzhan Zhorobaev

Safe haven for snow leopards

Injured snow leopards can recover from their tribulations in the NABU wildlife rehabilitation centre, where they are nursed back to health.

more
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.

more

TAKE ACTION

Schneeleopard

Donate

more

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.

read more
Malachite Kingfisher in Ethiopia - photo: Bruno D/'Amicis

Biodiversity

The world’s biodiversity richest areas are described as Hotspots of biodiversity. NABU is active in these areas and beyond, as ecosystem functioning is a global task.

read more

Where we work

  • Europe
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Caucasus
Where we work: Europe, Africa, Asia, Caucasus
Where we work: Europe, Africa, Asia, Caucasus Where we work

NABU on Social Media

Address & Contact

NABU
Charitéstraße 3
10117 Berlin

Phone 030.28 49 84-0 | Fax - 20 00
NABU@NABU.de

Donations for nature

Bank für Sozialwirtschaft
IBAN: DE65370205000008051805

Donate online

Information & Service

  • Contacts
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Shop
  • Imprint
  • Data Protection
  • Cookie Settings
  • Transparency
  • Safeguards

Main Topics

  • Biodiversity
  • Climate
  • Regional Development
  • Ecosystems
  • Protected Areas
  • Land Use
  • Civil Society

Donations for nature

Bank für Sozialwirtschaft
IBAN: DE65370205000008051805

  • Contacts
  • Press
  • Shop

Ja, ich möchte mehr über die Naturschutzarbeit des NABU erfahren.

Der individualisierte und an Ihren Interessen ausgerichtete Newsletter ist jederzeit abbestellbar. Mehr Informationen dazu finden Sie in unseren Hinweisen zum Datenschutz.

  • Deutsche Version