Sonam Choekyi Lama, Tenzin Bhuti Gurung, & Tshiring Lhamu Lama with Dr. Rodney Jackson – Photo: Adam Bagnall

🐾 25 Years of Impact for Snow Leopards

This year marks 25 years since the founding of the Snow Leopard Conservancy—a milestone in our mission to protect these elusive cats and empower local communities across their range in Asia’s high mountains.

Earlier this month, we celebrated this momentous occasion at The Walt Disney Family Museum, honoring the legacy of Dr. Rodney Jackson and co-founder Darla Hillard, who boldly launched Snow Leopard Conservancy in 2000. An intergenerational group of supporters, including artists, technologists, writers, a Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhism spiritual teacher, and avid wildlife lovers joined us for an unforgettable evening.

✨ A Night to Remember

Guests entered the museum to a stunning display of vibrant snow leopard artwork by Joe Rohde, legendary Disney Imagineer, conservationist, and SLC supporter. The exhibit was anchored by a special tribute—a large print of the 1986 National Geographic cover story, Tracking the Snow Leopard, co-written by Darla Hillard, which debuted Dr. Rodney Jackson’s pioneering three and a half years of field research in the mountains of Nepal after receiving the 1981 Rolex Enterprise Award to radio collar and study wild snow leopards. The cover story documented Dr. Jackson’s success at being the first to implement VHF radio collar and camera trap technology with this big cat, providing early insights into snow leopard behavior and populations.

Snow leopard-themed tables were adorned with unique one-of-a-kind needle-felted wool snow leopards. The beautiful snow leopard felties are individually handcrafted by Indigenous women in the Peruvian Andes participating in The Spectacled Bear Conservation Societies (SBC). SLC is pleased and honored to partner with SBC’s alternative livelihood program that creates sustainable economic opportunities for women living in critical spectacled bear habitat in northwestern Peru. Each purchase of a handmade snow leopard feltie supports community-led projects and conservation efforts on two continents to protect both iconic and vulnerable species, the spectacled bear and the snow leopard.

SLC supporters raise a glass to celebrate a quarter-century of snow leopard conservation – Photo: Rina Herzl

🥂 Toasting to 25 Years

The energy was joyful and electric. Our Executive Director Ashleigh Lutz-Nelson, led a heartfelt toast to SLC’s 25-year journey, with glasses raised high to the legacy of conservation and the community that makes it possible.

🎬  Snow Leopard Sisters Film Preview

The night featured a special preview of the feature documentary film, Snow Leopard Sisters. The film spotlights the groundbreaking conservation work of SLC’s long-standing local partner, Tshiring Lhamu Lama, to safeguard endangered snow leopards in her home district of Dolpo, Nepal—a region of both ecological importance and urgent need due to prominent human-wildlife conflict.

Through predator-proof corrals, solar-light predator deterrent technology, and community conservation leadership training, the Snow Leopard Sisters Impact Campaign aims to create a future where both people and snow leopards thrive.

The audience was deeply moved. Standing ovations honored the team behind the documentary film, including the real-life protagonists and Nepalese conservationists featured in the film, Tshiring Lhamu Lama and Tenzin Bhuti Gurung, film director Sonam Choekyi Lama, and SLC leadership.

SLC supporters, deeply moved by the film, offer a standing ovation – Photo: Rina Herzl

🌏 A Global Effort

Maria Azhunova from the Land of Snow Leopard Network (LOSL) honored the team with handcrafted gifts from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Russia—celebrating a global network united for snow leopard conservation.

LOSL’s Maria Azhunova honoring the Snow Leopard Sisters – Photo: Susan Janin

💚 Thank You

From pioneering community-based conservation to global partnerships, our journey wouldn’t be possible without you. Your support fuels our mission.

🙌 Get Involved

Be part of our next chapter by supporting the Snow Leopard Sisters Impact Campaign.

👉 Learn More & Donate

Click Here >> Every gift directly supports the community-led conservation efforts in Dolpo, Nepal.