Stronger Laws Suggested to Protect Snow Leopard

An awareness walk and ceremony were held in Jughoor, Chitral, Pakistan, on World Snow Leopard Day 2026 to advocate for the protection of snow leopards, forest conservation, and stronger environmental laws. Organized by the Hindu Kush Environmental Protection Alliance (HEPA) with support from local authorities and the Snow Leopard Foundation, the event included students, community members, and environmental representatives. HEPA President Sarwar Kamal highlighted that Pakistan is home to the endangered snow leopard, which faces threats from climate change, human-wildlife conflict, deforestation, illegal mining, and poaching. He emphasized the species' crucial role in mountain ecosystems and linked local communities' reliance on forests for fuel to habitat destruction, urging subsidized electricity from Golen Gol to alleviate this pressure. Kamal also called for effective environmental legislation, citing recent floods in Jughoor Gol and challenges in implementing district administration orders to regulate commercial grazing, which continue to expose communities to risk.