Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday honoured outstanding wildlife rangers and a community conservation organisations at the Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards 2026 for their exceptional contributions to wildlife conservation.
They were given awards on anti-poaching efforts and the protection of biodiversity in the country’s remote mountain regions.
The awards ceremony, organised by the Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCCandEC) and the British High Commission Pakistan, was held to mark World Ranger Day.
Minister of State for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Shezra Mansab Kharal attended the event as chief guest, while British High Commissioner Jane Marriott was the guest of honour.
The awards recognised wildlife rangers serving in the mountainous areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where they work under challenging conditions to protect endangered species and combat illegal wildlife trade and poaching.
The prestigious National Snow Leopard Award 2026 was presented to Deputy Ranger Gulbaz Khan of Kohistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for foiling an attempt to smuggle a snow leopard skin.
Other award recipients included Muhammad Younis Hasrat (Musk Deer Award), Nasir Ahmad (Markhor Award), Seer Zehab (Black Bear Award), Sajjad Hussain (Urial Award), Fida Hussain (Himalayan Lynx Award) and Parvez Iqbal (Ibex Award).
Ashiq Ahmad Khan Community-Based Conservation Excellence Award was introduced this year to recognise outstanding community-led conservation efforts.
The inaugural award was presented to the Valley Conservation and Development Organization (VCDO) of Zondrangram Valley, Upper Chitral, for its exemplary contribution to wildlife conservation.
Addressing the ceremony, Dr Shezra Mansab Kharal said Pakistan’s wildlife was a national asset whose protection required collective commitment and shared responsibility.
She paid tribute to wildlife rangers for protecting forests, mountains and wildlife despite harsh weather and difficult terrain, saying their dedication reflected Pakistan’s commitment to biodiversity conservation.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said Pakistan’s wildlife rangers and mountain communities were playing a vital role in protecting globally important ecosystems.
She said the UK’s support through the Darwin Initiative was helping locally led conservation efforts, from snow leopard landscapes to urial habitats.
Snow Leopard Foundation Pakistan Director Dr Muhammad Ali Nawaz said effective conservation was only possible through close cooperation among local communities, wildlife departments and conservation experts.
He said sustained efforts had helped restore wildlife populations and reduce human-wildlife conflict in Pakistan’s mountain landscapes.