President Sadyr Japarov signed the decree on recognizing the snow leopard as a national symbol of the Kyrgyz Republic. The press service of the head of state reported.
It is noted that the snow leopard is not only a symbol of natural wealth and cultural well-being, but also an indicator of the stability and health of the mountain ecosystem, which occupies one third of the global territory. The loss of snow leopards from the wild would risk disrupting the delicate ecological balance, which would have detrimental effects on various animal species and humans.
The snow leopard is included in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and has the status of a rare or endangered species in 12 countries.
In the culture of the ancient Kyrgyz people, the snow leopard personified greatness, nobility, courage and endurance. According to legends, the leopard was the totem animal of the great Manas. The snow leopard and the unity of man and nature were vividly described in the latest novel by the writer Chingiz Aitmatov «When the Mountains Fall.»
Kyrgyzstan is an active participant in global wildlife conservation programs. At the World Snow Leopard Forum, with the support of representatives of 12 snow leopard range states and the international environmental community, the Bishkek Declaration on the Protection of the Snow Leopard was unanimously adopted and a comprehensive Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program was approved.
For further government support of initiatives for the conservation of the snow leopard and its ecosystem in the Kyrgyz Republic and recognition of the snow leopard as the national symbol of the republic, Sadyr Japarov signed a special decree.
The document instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to take measures:
- To recognize the status of the national symbol of the snow leopard in the country;
- To protect the size of the snow leopard population, as well as its ecosystem in the republic;
- To popularize the national symbol, develop a logo, options for use, determine directions for using the symbol at the national and international levels;
- To determine the ideological content of the national symbol.
The Ministries of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision, Foreign Affairs, Economy and Commerce, Finance and the National Investment Promotion Agency have been tasked with ensuring interaction at the national and international levels to popularize the national symbol of the snow leopard, organize measures to protect the population and ecosystem within the framework of international cooperation, attracting investments on international platforms, as well as using the national symbol in the tourism segment.
