Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards
| Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Distinguished service by rangers, watchers and wildlife officials in conservation |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Presented by | Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination; Snow Leopard Foundation |
| First award | 2024 |
The Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards are national honours established in 2024 to recognise frontline conservation personnel: rangers, wildlife watchers, game watchers, and forest officers, in Pakistan. The awards highlight exemplary service in wildlife protection, biodiversity conservation, anti-poaching operations and community engagement. In 2025, the programme expanded with additional categories and wider participation.[1][2]
Background
[edit]The establishment of the awards aligns with international conservation practices that recognise the risks faced by protected-area staff. A 2025 study in the journal PARKS emphasised the importance of acknowledging rangers as conservation ambassadors in Pakistan, particularly in mountainous and remote regions.[3]
Organisation and partners
[edit]The awards are organised by the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) in collaboration with the Snow Leopard Foundation (Pakistan). Supporting partners include the Snow Leopard Trust, the UK Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, and provincial forest and wildlife departments from Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The inaugural ceremony was held on 31 July 2024, World Ranger Day, at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts in Islamabad.[4]
Award categories and selection
[edit]The programme features several species-themed categories that symbolise Pakistan’s iconic mountain wildlife. Core categories include:
- Snow Leopard Award
- Ibex Award
- Blue Sheep Award
- Markhor Award
- Wolf Award
- Musk Deer Award
In 2025, a Brown Bear Award was also introduced, and one category was reserved specifically for community recognition. Nominations are reviewed by the National Committee for the Citizen-Ranger Wildlife Protection Programme.[5][6]
The initiative complements the Citizen Ranger Wildlife Protection Programme, launched by the Snow Leopard Trust in 2024 to empower and recognise field staff across Pakistan’s snow leopard range.[7]
Recipients
[edit]2024
[edit]Six individuals from Gilgit–Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Jammu and Kashmir received the first set of awards:
| Award | Recipient | Position | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Leopard Award | Sarmad Shafa | Range Forest Officer | Gilgit–Baltistan |
| Ibex Award | Faizan Dukhi | — | Gilgit–Baltistan |
| Blue Sheep Award | Kamaluddin | Wildlife Inspector | Gilgit–Baltistan |
| Markhor Award | Syed Mussadiq Ali Shah | Wildlife Ranger | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| Wolf Award | Zahid Ahmad | Deputy Ranger | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| Musk Deer Award | Jan Muhammad Nasir | Game Watcher | Azad Jammu and Kashmir |
2025
[edit]Seven individuals were selected in 2025:
| Award | Recipient | Position | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Leopard Award (national) | Muhammad Ismail | Game Watcher | Azad Jammu and Kashmir |
| Blue Sheep Award | Sher Afghan Ali | Game Inspector | Gilgit–Baltistan |
| Brown Bear Award | Muhammad Raza | — | Gilgit–Baltistan |
| Wolf Award | Sakhawat Ali | Game Watcher | Gilgit–Baltistan |
| Ibex Award | Israrullah | Deputy Ranger | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| Markhor Award | Muhammad Saleem | Wildlife Watcher | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| Musk Deer Award | Mehboob Shah | Game Watcher | Azad Jammu and Kashmir |
Ceremonies
[edit]The 2024 ceremony was held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts in Islamabad on 31 July, coinciding with World Ranger Day. Speakers included Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, Senator Sardar Jamal Khan Leghari, and conservationist Dr Muhammad Ali Nawaz of the Snow Leopard Foundation.[12]
In 2025, the award winners were announced in mid-July, with the formal ceremony again planned for 31 July in Islamabad.[13]
See also
[edit]- Conservation in Pakistan
- Forest, Wildlife & Environment Department (Gilgit–Baltistan)
- Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries Department (Azad Jammu and Kashmir)
References
[edit]- ^ "Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards honour collective resolve for biodiversity conservation: Romina". Associated Press of Pakistan. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Winners of Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards announced". Dawn. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ Aisha, S. (2025). "Challenges and opportunities for ranger conservation in Pakistan" (PDF). PARKS. 31 (1): 45–52. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards honour collective resolve for biodiversity conservation: Romina". Associated Press of Pakistan. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Winners of Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards announced". Dawn. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Pakistan Television: Winners of Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards 2025". PTV World. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Snow Leopard Ranger Program expands to Pakistan". Snow Leopard Trust. 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Six wildlife protectors get national awards". Dawn. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Six wildlife protectors win Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards 2024". Radio Pakistan. 14 July 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Winners of Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards announced". Dawn. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "7 individuals selected for 'Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards 2025'". Associated Press of Pakistan. 14 July 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards honour collective resolve for biodiversity conservation: Romina". Associated Press of Pakistan. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Winners of Pakistan Wildlife Protection Awards announced". Dawn. 16 July 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
