The event organizers invite everyone to dedicate 23 minutes of any physical activity on October 23. This can be running, walking, cycling, yoga, swimming, or any other form of movement related to supporting the snow leopard.
The goal of the campaign is to raise public awareness about environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, unite people, institutions, and organizations, and highlight that Kyrgyzstan is a key habitat for the snow leopard and a leader in its protection.
In December 2023, President Sadyr Japarov signed a decree recognizing the snow leopard as the national symbol of Kyrgyzstan. He noted that this species is listed in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is considered rare or endangered in 12 countries.
International Snow Leopard Day was established at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in December last year at the initiative of Kyrgyzstan, and it is celebrated on October 23.
In Kyrgyzstan, a fine of 2 million soms has been established for the illegal shooting of snow leopards. According to the Ministry of Nature, as of 2024, the population of snow leopards in the country is 511 individuals, and there have been no recorded cases of poaching of these animals in the last three years.
