Our PeLeWG has celebrated International Leopard Day by nominating 10 rangers from Afghanistan, 3 from Iraqi Kurdistan and 3 from Pakistan for awards to appreciate their dedication and professionalism. The award ceremony will be organized a bit later. We thank the country representatives Dr. Zalmai Moheb, Hana Raza with her Leopards Beyond Borders (LBB) NGO and Dr. Muhammad Kabir for their hard work in organizing this!

All the nominees play pivotal roles in surveys of different species, including the Persian leopard and its prey, communicating with local people on conservation and livelihood issues, and fighting against poaching and other illegal activities. Yet, their work is rarely visible and even less appreciated. All they experience a shortage of funds and attention from the governmental bodies, and most of the rangers from Afghanistan do it for free at the expense of their time and other duties. Despite this, they keep on doing their work with unprecedented passion. The PeLeWG cannot stand aside and neglect these heroes, and that is why we decided to take a small step forward to appreciate their invaluable work and invigorate these people for new achievements. We will continue to carry out the grant award program throughout the Persian leopard range to the best of our capacities.