CHITRAL: International Snow Leopard Day was observed across Chitral on Friday with a call to engage the youth and local communities in preserving the mountain ecosystem and protecting the endangered snow leopard from growing environmental threats.
To mark the occasion, a special awareness event was organised at Government Higher Secondary School, Sor Laspur, Upper Chitral, under the joint auspices of the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) Pakistan and the Chitral Gol National Park Wildlife Division.
The ceremony was attended by students, teachers, local elders and official dignitaries. Addressing the gathering, SLF Regional Programme Manager Jamilullah Shirazi emphasised that conserving the snow leopard was essential for maintaining the balance of high-altitude ecosystems and stabilising the natural food chain.
He noted that the animal’s presence in Chitral underscores the region’s rich biodiversity, but warned that the species faces severe threats from illegal poaching, climate-induced habitat loss, prey scarcity and retaliatory killings due to human-wildlife conflict.
International Snow Leopard Day observed in Chitral
Shirazi urged students to act as conservation ambassadors, highlighting that sustainable wildlife protection relies heavily on the local population acting as primary guardians.
School Principal Fayyaz Ali and education officer Jameel Ahmed welcomed the initiative stating that embedding ecological awareness within educational institutions fosters eco-friendly thinking among the youth. They stressed the need for robust institutional collaboration between the education sector, wildlife conservation bodies and local communities to secure a balanced environment for future generations.
Community representatives Akbar and Rahmatullah Jan praised SLF’s ongoing conservation and development initiatives in the Laspur Valley, while SLF Community Mobiliser Saifullah Jan thanked the school administration for their collaboration.
The event featured bilingual speeches by students in Urdu and English, demonstrating their commitment to environmental preservation and concluded with the distribution of honorary shields to distinguished guests and position-holders.
Meanwhile, in Lower Chitral, the Hindukush Environmental Protection Alliance, in collaboration with the SLF, organised an awareness walk to highlight the day’s significance.
The walk commenced from the TMA Chowk in Jughoor and culminated at the Beacon of North School, where students participated in a commemorative ceremony featuring speeches and painting exhibitions dedicated to wildlife conservation.
Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2026
