India celebrated International Snow Leopard Day on Thursday with a unique nationwide campaign, ‘#23for23’, encouraging citizens to dedicate 23 minutes of physical activity to raise awareness about the conservation of snow leopards and their fragile mountain habitats.
The celebrations were led by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, who lauded the enthusiastic participation of citizens, institutions, and the Indian Army in the creative campaign.
Highlighting India’s growing success in wildlife conservation under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yadav said that the country’s snow leopard conservation efforts are yielding promising results. The first-ever Snow Leopard Census recently completed across the Indian Himalayas recorded 718 individual snow leopards, with Ladakh alone accounting for 477 of them.
The Minister said that the day reaffirms India’s commitment to the goals of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP) and underscores the nation’s focus on science-based monitoring, habitat protection, and community participation to ensure the long-term survival of the vulnerable species.
In a post on X, Bhupender Yadav said, “India marked the International Snow Leopard Day with #23for23, promoting 23 minutes of physical activity to raise awareness for snow leopard conservation. Under the leadership of PM Shri Narendra Modi ji, India’s conservation efforts are showing encouraging results. The first-ever snow leopard census reveals 718 individuals across the Himalayas, with Ladakh alone hosting 477 of them. I congratulate everyone who joined this initiative, especially the Indian Army for its active participation.”
The ‘#23for23’ campaign is an initiative of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme (GSLEP) and the Snow Leopard Trust Worldwide.