Results of 10th International Snow Leopard Conference
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Representatives of snow leopard range country governments, nonprofits, and scientists from around the world left a recent meeting in Beijing more committed than ever to securing a bright future for wild snow leopards and their prey.
More than 100 experts from around the world attended
the International Snow Leopard Conference in Beijing this March and had the opportunity to share ideas and learn from
their peers. Significantly, the governments of 11 of the 12 snow
leopard range states sent delegations to the meeting and each developed
key conservation initiatives that, when implemented, will benefit snow
leopards in the wild.
The conference was hosted in Beijing by the Chinese Institute of Zoology, Snow Leopard Network, Panthera Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Snow Leopard Trust. George Schaller opened the meeting with a call for renewed efforts on behalf of these endangered cats.
Demonstrating the important and growing role of the Trust in snow leopard conservation efforts worldwide, 21 of the conference participants were Snow Leopard Trust staff.
The first two days
of the conference were spent developing an improved range map for the
elusive cats. Working together on a big map spread over several tables,
experts drew the boundaries of the snow leopard’s historic and current
range, and identified priority conservation areas. The much improved
range map that emerged from this intensive process then facilitated the
development of conservation priorities.That was the topic of the next three days of the conference, as participants broke into country-specific planning sessions and developed their own snow leopard conservation priorities.
Conference participants agreed on a shared vision for snow leopards:
A world where snow leopards and their wild prey thrive in healthy mountain ecosystems across all major ecological settings of their range, and where snow leopards are revered as unique ecological, economic, aesthetic and spiritual assets.
They also unanimously
adopted three major resolutions focused on developing conservation
action plans for each country, naming coordinators or focal points to
facilitate the work, and developing specific plans to facilitate
trans-boundary conservation projects.The conference organizers were very pleased with all of these results. New relationships were developed between governments, nonprofits, and donors, and countries have set aggressive new plans that will provide increased protection for snow leopards. Follow-up will be key, but we now have a much stronger foundation from which to build a successful future for snow leopards and their mountain ecosystem.