ISLAMABAD: The Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) has officially endorsed the proposed international transfer of two captive snow leopards currently housed at the Snow Leopard Rehabilitation Centre in Naltar Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan. The decision, under consideration by the Government of Pakistan through the Gilgit-Baltistan Wildlife Department, has drawn public interest in recent days.
In its formal statement, the Snow Leopard Foundation clarified that both animals were removed from the wild under illegal circumstances, one in 2012 and the other in 2024, and are not conservation rescues, but rather victims of wildlife trafficking. Raised in captivity, the snow leopards have undergone irreversible behavioural changes, rendering them unfit for reintroduction into the wild.
“Let us be clear. This is not a commercial export,” a senior representative of the Snow Leopard Foundation stated. “It is a welfare-driven decision rooted in science, legality, and ethics.”
Citing international best practices in ex-situ wildlife management, the Foundation emphasised that animals raised in captivity under such conditions cannot survive in their natural habitat and require specialised care. International zoological institutions with proven expertise offer the best chance for a life of dignity and proper welfare.
The proposed transfer complies with Pakistan’s national wildlife laws and international commitments under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). As per Appendix I of CITES, non-commercial transfers that promote animal welfare and scientific collaboration are permitted under strict regulatory protocols.
The Naltar rehabilitation centre, established in 2013 with support from the U.S. Embassy and technical guidance from Sweden’s Nordens Ark, has contributed to wildlife care and awareness for over a decade. However, the Foundation acknowledges that financial and logistical constraints now limit its ability to provide long-term care for apex predators.
“These two individuals are no longer part of the wild gene pool,” the Snow Leopard Foundation said in its statement. “Their continued captivity in substandard conditions is neither humane nor necessary. What we owe them now is a future with care, dignity, and compassion.”
The Foundation stressed that this transfer should not be perceived as a failure of Pakistan’s conservation efforts, but rather as a progressive step toward ethical wildlife stewardship. The focus, it added, must remain on addressing the real threats to Pakistan’s wild snow leopard populations, including: illegal poaching and wildlife trade, human-wildlife conflict, habitat degradation and Climate change.
To build long-term capacity in managing similar cases, the Snow Leopard Foundation recommended establishing trained wildlife response units, adopting international policy guidelines like those of the Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), and creating low-cost, high-impact care centres in biodiversity hotspots.
“This is a moment to reaffirm our commitment to protecting wild snow leopards and their fragile mountain ecosystems,” the statement concluded. “Animal welfare, legality, and ethical conservation must guide our decisions.”
Pamir Times
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May 20, 2025Last Updated: May 20, 2025
