The magnificent and highly endangered snow leopard needs your help.

This extraordinary animal roams the high mountains of Asia, known as Earth’s Third Pole. The lives of snow leopards and local indigenous peoples are as intertwined with glaciers and snow as they are with each other.

The Third Pole is projected to warm at twice the average rate of the northern hemisphere. Flash floods, droughts and other climate disasters are already causing significant losses to lives, livestock and livelihoods and are impacting snow leopard habitat.

Climate-induced changes will interact with and intensify the other threats snow leopards already face, such as habitat loss, illegal hunting and trade, retaliatory killing due to their predation on livestock and decline of prey populations. The clock is ticking. It’s time to enact bold measures to protect snow leopards and the Third Pole.

Your voice matters! Please join concerned citizens from around the world to request political leaders take the following actions:

- Strengthen efforts to protect snow leopards and turn this iconic mountain species into the international symbol of climate resilience across the Earth’s Third Pole.

- Implement climate-resilient livelihood and income development programs for local and indigenous communities linked to people’s well-being and conservation of snow leopards.

- Strengthen disease and healthcare management in snow leopard habitats to minimize disease risks for people, livestock and wildlife.

- Ensure that economic and infrastructure development in mountain ecosystems are sensitive to the needs of snow leopards and their habitat.

Ethically-minded climate action can bring countries together to save an endangered species, protect fragile ecosystems and safeguard the health of humanity across the globe.

Read letter to Environment Ministers here.

This message will be hand-delivered to political leaders at their next intergovernmental cooperation meeting for snow leopard conservation.

Photo by Prasenjeet Yadav