Representatives of all 12 countries of the snow leopard habitat will gather in Kazan for an international conference. In recent years, the international community on the conservation of the snow leopard has not yet met in this format.
International Conference "Study and conservation of the snow leopard in the world. Joining Efforts" will be held from March 13 to 15 and will be devoted to the study and conservation of the snow leopard, as well as a discussion of existing environmental projects in this area. Among the participants of the Conference are 180 scientific experts, among them representatives from 12 countries: Russia, China, Pakistan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. The event corresponds to the goals and objectives of the national project "Environmental well-being".
The meeting of the Organizing Committee of the conference was held on March 6 by the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, at the Government House of the Republic of Tatarstan. The meeting was attended by representatives of federal authorities, heads of ministries, departments of the republic, representatives of business, education and science, some members of the organizing committee were connected via videoconference.
The meeting discussed the conference program, during which plenary and strategic sessions are planned, as well as working discussions on the study and conservation of the snow leopard. One of the goals of the conference is to sign documents on the conclusion of cooperation with scientific research centers and organizations to continue the study and conservation of the Red Book animal species.
Also, one of the central topics of discussion at the conference will be the functioning of the Scientific Research Center for the Conservation of Biological Diversity "Snow Leopard", which was established on the initiative of the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan and with the participation of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan in the territory of the Altai Republic.
In addition to the main meetings, a cultural program with guided tours and an overview of the main attractions and research facilities of Kazan is provided for participants and guests.
For reference:
The initiative to preserve the snow leopard population belongs to Rustam Minnikhanov. In 2022, on behalf of the Head of Tatarstan, construction of the Snow Leopard Center began on the territory of Karym LLC in the Maiminsky district of the Altai Republic. In 2024, a research building with a laboratory, residential buildings for researchers, a veterinary unit, an economic unit, and an aviary complex were erected on the territory of the center. The snow leopard is one of the most poorly studied species of the felidae family. The Center has become a continuation of the previously established Ak Bars Center for the Study of Rare Species of Cats. Currently, there are about 80 individuals in the wild in Russia.
As part of the Scientific Program for the Restoration of the Snow leopard, adopted following cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic, three snow leopard specimens were delivered to the Snow Leopard Center on October 23, 2024.
Currently, the imported snow leopards are doing great. Of the imported snow leopards, there are 2 males named Batyr and Zhanish, and one female named Umai.