WWF-Pakistan has urged the federal government to immediately cancel a proposed plan to export two snow leopards from Gilgit-Baltistan to Russia.
In a formal letter to the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, the organization expressed serious concerns over the transfer of the animals—currently housed at the Naltar Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre—to the Moscow Zoo.
The conservation body stated that such a move contradicts both national and international commitments to wildlife protection and could set a dangerous precedent for future transfers of threatened species. WWF-Pakistan stressed the need to strengthen the Naltar facility as a permanent center for wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and veterinary care.
Snow leopards are listed as a “vulnerable” species on the IUCN Red List (2017) and receive the highest level of protection under Pakistan’s national and provincial wildlife laws. WWF-Pakistan argued that Russia already possesses a significantly larger wild population of snow leopards, making the transfer scientifically and ethically unjustified.
The organization warned that, once transferred, ensuring the animals’ welfare would be difficult under foreign jurisdiction. It called on Pakistan to demonstrate global leadership by prioritizing the conservation of its iconic wildlife within its own borders.
