Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov on December 30 signed the Decree “On recognizing the snow leopard as a national symbol of the Kyrgyz Republic,” the presidential press service said.
The snow leopard has the status of a rare or endangered species in 12 countries. This animal is an indicator of the stability and health of the mountain ecosystem, which occupies 1/3 of the global territory. The loss of snow leopards from the wild would risk upsetting the delicate ecological balance, which would have detrimental effects on various animal species and humans.
Kyrgyzstan is an active participant in global wildlife conservation programs. At the first International Forum on Snow Leopard Conservation in Bishkek in 2013, with the support of representatives of 12 snow leopard range countries and the international community, the Bishkek Declaration on the Protection of the Snow Leopard was unanimously adopted and the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Program was approved.
In order to further state support for initiatives to preserve the snow leopard and its ecosystem in Kyrgyzstan, the presidential decree has instructed the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic to take measures to protect the snow leopard population, as well as its ecosystem, and to popularize the new national symbol.
