This landmark event was organized by the team of Dr. Muhammad Kabir, a PeLeWG member from the Wildlife Ecology Lab of the University of Haripur, on International Leopard Day of May 3, 2025 in Ayubia National Park. It was part of the project of the same title which was funded by Global Leopard Conference under guidance from the PeLeWG. This event honored the majestic Persian leopard – a symbol of wilderness and ecological harmony – while emphasizing the crucial role of women in conservation efforts across Pakistan’s mountainous regions. Students, educators, conservationists, park visitors, rangers and local women, with a total of 60-70 participants, have come together to share a mission to promote human-wildlife coexistence.  

The leopard population in Ayubia National Park and its surroundings is the largest in Pakistan, numbering 16-20 individuals. Over the decades, poor land management practices such as fuel wood harvesting, encroachment and urbanization have led to deforestation, climate change and water crisis, thus threatening local livelihoods along with the region’s biodiversity. Several iconic species, such as the Asiatic black bear, grey goral and Himalayan monal pheasant have already disappeared in this protected area, and the leopard may follow them unless awareness-raising and conservation efforts are urgently undertaken.  

The goal of this event was to break traditional barriers and acknowledge that women are powerful agents of change through their deep connection to nature and an integral role they play in local communities. It was marked by student speeches, an art workshop of leopard drawings and paintings, field trips to leopard habitats and camera-trap sites, and an informal meeting with Wildlife Department officials. Empowering Guardians was more than a regular event – it was a movement to launch gender-inclusive and community-driven solutions along with building bridges between scientific knowledge and grassroot empowerment. By celebrating the voices of women, inspiring the youth, and blending scientific knowledge with traditional wisdom, this initiative laid the foundation for a future where leopards would peacefully co-exist with local people for mutual benefits.

Our group celebrated International Leopard Day of May 3, 2025 by joining the International Big Cat Alliance’s (IBCA) webinar. Dr. Igor Khorozyan has made a presentation “The Persian leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana): building bridges through range-wide cooperation”, and its pdf file is available here.

The other presentations included:

Dr. Andrew Kittle, “Corridors for conservation: establishment of protected corridors using a collaborative multi-partner landscape approach. Central Highlands of Sri Lanka”

Dr. Erwin Wilianto, “Repaint the spot: a collaborative action to conserve the Javan leopard”

Dr. Bilal Habib, “Leopards in India”

Dr. Gareth Mann, “The Arabian leopard: darkness before the dawn?”

The video of all these presentations is available here.

The PeLeWG supported the participation of its member, Kaveh Hobeali from Future4Leopards Foundation (Iran), in the workshop “Engaging with Indigenous People and Local Communities for Biodiversity Conservation” in Kathmandu, Nepal during 5-8 March 2025. This course was organized by Snow Leopard Trust, Ethical Conservation Alliance and Red Panda Network. It was arranged in a very creative and participatory way to address the PARTNERS principles including the following key features of effective cooperation with local communities in conservation: Presence, Aptness, Respect, Transparency, Negotiation, Empathy, Responsiveness and Strategic support. Witnessing the remarkable unity among snow leopard conservationists was truly thought-provoking, and inspired Kaveh to reflect and apply meaningful, feasible and locally friendly solutions in his home country.

As human conflicts with Persian leopards and snow leopards are among the major threats to survival of these big cats, learning and sharing information about effective solutions with essential local engagement is an irreplaceable lesson to take home. The PeLeWG pays great attention to building up local knowledge on co-existence between local communities and Persian leopards, and will do its best to foster dedicated professionals, especially youth, to make a change on the ground.

The PeLeWG supported Hana Raza, leader of Leopards Beyond Borders and member of the PeLeWG Steering Committee, to travel to Mongolia to participate in the Training of Trainers on Community-Driven Conservation course during 3-7 Feb, 2025. This course was organized by Snow Leopard Trust, Ethical Conservation Alliance and Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation. It aimed to effectively engage local communities in biodiversity conservation by applying the PARTNERS principles: Presence, Aptness, Respect, Transparency, Negotiation, Empathy, Responsiveness, and Strategic support, focusing on building trust, fostering resilient relationships, and ensuring shared decision-making. These elements are essential for creating a long-term and meaningful conservation impact.  

The gathering provided a platform for conservationists to share experiences, address challenges, and exchange innovative solutions. Through open discussions, participants gained practical tools to enhance their efforts and refined strategies for effective community-driven conservation. The training also expects participants to facilitate similar workshops in their home countries, further expanding the impact of ethical conservation principles.