CHITRAL: Speakers at a ceremony held here on Wednesday called for safeguarding the natural habitat of snow leopard.

The ceremony was held in a school of Kalash valley Birir to mark International Snow Leopard Day. `Safeguarding snow leopard habitat for future generation` was the theme of the day.

The event was arranged by Snow Leopard Foundation (SLF). Addressing the event, the officials of wildlife department, representatives of civil society organisations and academia highlighted the ecological significance of the wild cat.

Students ofthe schooltook partinthe competitions of drawing and declamation contest, which portrayed importance of snow leopard and its habitat. They highlighted both social and ecological significanceofthebeastandsaidthattheiconicwild animal had a momentous correlation with locals and their culture.

The regional programme manager of SLF, Jamiullah Sherazi, said that Chitral was known as one of the major habitats of the beast in the foothold of Hindukush system of mountains, which formed its ideal ecological zone where its population flourished in the past.

He talked about the impacts of climate change on the snow leopard habitat and the outcomes of Billion Tree Tsunami project to minimise the threat of climate change.

The range officer of wildlife department, Ijazur Rehman, highlighted the efforts of his department in protection and conservation of the wild cat. He stressed the need for mass awareness about the animal to enlist support of people in the process. Correspondent