Experts from Russia and India discussed snow leopard conservation: for the first time, the snow leopard population in Russia was announced for 2026

The meeting took place at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IEE RAS) as part of the partnership between the two countries to exchange experience in conserving this rare species of big cat. Recall that at the end of 2025, during the visit of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to India, Russia joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). India has the third‑largest snow leopard population in the world, faces threats to high‑altitude biodiversity similar to those in Russia, and shares common goals in nature conservation. The main news of the day is that the snow leopard population in Russia has been announced for the first time, based on the species census conducted this year. The data were presented in a report by Ali Uzdenov, businessman, philanthropist, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Irbis Association:

Ali Uzdenov also noted that, despite the positive trend since the early 2000s, the current population remains insufficient:

The meeting was organised by: the Interregional Association "Center for the Study and Conservation of the Snow Leopard ‘Irbis'", the IEE RAS, and the International Big Cat Alliance. Participants included: representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the Moscow Zoo, the Civic Chamber of Russia, specially protected natural areas of Russia within the snow leopard’s range, the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, as well as leading Russian snow leopard specialists. The specialists discussed:

• the state policies of Russia and India in the field of rare species protection;
• the operation of specially protected natural areas and the organisation of conservation efforts;
• modern methods for assessing the species population (molecular genetic analysis, big data analysis, and IT technologies);
• environmental conditions and other factors: the food base, habitat, and predator-prey dynamic фонд Живая природа и мирcooperation and innovative approaches in the countries within the species' range.

The Irbis Association thanks VTB Bank and the "Wildlife and the World" Foundation for their support of the event. We express our gratitude to our Indian and Russian colleagues for the constructive dialogue, as well as to the IEE RAS for the warm welcome and the high level of organisation of the meeting.