WWF Pakistan Opposes Proposed Transfer of Endangered Snow Leopards to Moscow Zoo
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Pakistan has strongly opposed plans to relocate endangered snow leopards from northern Pakistan to the Moscow Zoo, urging the government instead to strengthen local rehabilitation efforts.
Snow leopards, known for their elusive nature, are difficult to monitor, but estimates suggest Pakistan is home to approximately 200 to 420 of these vulnerable big cats, primarily in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Globally, fewer than 7,000 remain, according to a 2020 WWF report.
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In a formal statement, WWF-Pakistan condemned the proposal to transfer two snow leopards from the Naltar Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Gilgit-Baltistan to Russia. The organization argued the move violates both national wildlife protections and international conservation laws, including Pakistan’s commitments under CITES and other treaties.
“WWF-Pakistan calls for the immediate cancellation of this transfer,” the statement declared, warning that exporting the leopards could undermine ongoing conservation progress and damage Pakistan’s international standing.
Snow leopards are classified as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List and enjoy full legal protection in Pakistan. WWF pointed out that Russia already harbors a significant wild snow leopard population, making the relocation unnecessary and unjustified from a conservation perspective.
WWF-Pakistan’s Director General, Hammad Naqi Khan, stressed the importance of prioritizing the protection of snow leopards within their native habitats and fulfilling international obligations by preventing the export of endangered species.
