Rare sight: Four snow leopards together inspire the spectators

Rare sight: Four snow leopards together inspire the spectators

footage of four, rarely seen snow leopards that climb on snow -covered cliffs in northern Pakistan has caused excitement among conservationists. These impressive animals are among the most mysterious creatures of nature, and it is a challenge to get even one of them in front of the camera, let alone four. The sighting is celebrated as a success story for nature conservation efforts in Pakistan.

an exciting find

SAKHAWAT Ali, a gamekeeper and photography enthusiast from the remote village of Hushe, recorded the footage on March 13, after having followed the animals with the snow-covered Central Carakoram National Park for two weeks-near the K2, the second highest mountain in the world.

ali reported CNN that the four snow leopards were a mother and her three puppies. "In the village we are used to seeing snow leopards, but nobody, even not even the oldest villagers I spoke, has ever seen four snow leopards at once," he said.

The discovery of the animals

He first discovered the mother, then began to write down further paw prints. Finally he was "lucky" and saw the animals together when he watched a nearby cliff from the roof terrace of his house with binoculars. He ran off with his camera to film the animals from a distance of 200 meters.

Ali announced that the neighbors of his village celebrate the sighting, even though they are worried that their herds of cattle could be at risk.

The protection of snow leopards

Schneeleopards are currently classified as "endangered" on the red list of the endangered species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are known locally as the "ghost of the mountains" and disguise themselves in their natural habitat, the Karakorm Mountains in the Gilgit-Baltistan region in Pakistan.

The environmental thermal throatropologist Shafqat Hussain explains that the stony terrain in northern Pakistan may be the "best snow leopard habitat in the world". These animals live exclusively in high alpine areas of the Himalayas. Although its habitat extends over 12 countries, including China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Russia and Mongolia, sightings are extremely rare.

success in nature conservation

dr. Zakir Hussain, the senior conservationist for parks and wildlife in Gilgit-Baltistan, told CNN that the sighting was a "victory" for the efforts to increase awareness within the local communities for the protection of snow leopards. According to him, 80 percent of the parishioners are now involved in nature conservation, persecution and educational activities.

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature in Pakistan was optimistic about the sighting, but emphasized that snow leopards are still an endangered way that is exposed to “numerous threats”. In an explanation it was said that the local communities “work together to protect and maintain these impressive great cats so that future generations can experience their splendor in the wilderness.”

threats to the snow leopards

According to the United Nations environmental program, human activities and growing herds of cattle in some regions have led to the degradation of pasture and habitats for wild animals, which has a negative impact on the food supply to the snow leopard. Further threats are poaching and the fragmentation of the animals' habitat through massive infrastructure projects and climate change, which is "expected to tighten these existing threats." In 2023, Pakistan was classified by the Global Climate Risk Index of the World Bank as the most fifth -ranking country compared to climate change.