May 26 – Snow Leopard Day in Altai
Today, May 26, marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of Snow Leopard Day in Altai. This holiday is designed to draw attention to the need to preserve the snow leopard, the rarest member of the felidae family found in the highlands of Central Asia.
The snow leopard has a special significance for the Republic of Tatarstan. His image, symbolizing strength, nobility and protection of his native land, is present on the national coat of arms of the republic and is the emblem of a number of organizations.
In order to preserve biodiversity, the Snow Leopard Scientific Center was established in 2022 on the initiative of the Head of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, and with the support of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. The center, located on the territory of Karym in the Altai Republic, currently houses three snow leopards from Kyrgyzstan: males Batyr and Zhanish, as well as a female Umai. Two more individuals are expected to arrive in the framework of cooperation with Mongolia.
Kazan has become the venue for the International Conference on Snow Leopard Conservation in March 2025. For the first time in history, representatives of all 12 countries of the snow leopard habitat gathered to discuss topical issues of conservation of this rare predator. Following the conference, the Kazan Resolution was adopted, aimed at consolidating the efforts of the international community in the field of snow leopard protection.
The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan congratulates everyone on the Day of the Snow Leopard!
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The snow leopard (snow leopard) is listed on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is endangered in all 12 countries of its range. There are about 90 snow leopard species in Russia, most of which live in the Sailugemsky National Park in the Altai Republic.