Salam! This is Sugi from ASHU TRAVEL, your guide to Central Asia’s spectacular scenery.
The snow leopard, which lives in mountainous regions, is one of Kyrgyzstan’s most beloved symbols.
This time, I met up in Bishkek with the “Snow Leopard Sisters,” Japanese twins who have dedicated themselves to protecting snow leopards.
What Is the Snow Leopard, So Popular in Kyrgyzstan?
It’s the feline that lives at the highest altitudes in the world. Watching it glide effortlessly across snowy mountains in places like Nepal and Kyrgyzstan, where people rarely venture, it truly is a “solitary king.” Yet it’s also fluffy, with a charm that makes you want to give it a big hug.
With the nobility of a queen and the cuteness of a stuffed toy, it’s a beloved symbol in Kyrgyzstan, even used in the logos of schools and companies.
An Endangered Species Linked to Our Own Lives
The snow leopard is an endangered species, quietly being driven to the edge by human activity such as global warming, development, poaching, and conflicts with livestock.
What’s more, they are a “keystone species” that keeps the ecosystem in balance. If they disappear, the mountain ecosystem could collapse like falling dominoes.
It may sound like a faraway story, but somehow it’s connected to our own lives, too.
How a Chance Connection Led Me to the Snow Leopard Sisters
“We want to show snow leopards to the children of Kyrgyzstan.”
I heard these words from the Snow Leopard Sisters through a mutual acquaintance, and they touched my heart.
And as I learned more about their work, I began to think, “I’d love to meet them.”
I used to be a schoolteacher, and even now I find myself thinking, “What can I offer to children’s hearts?”
Through my work in tourism, I hope to offer something, even something small, not only to adults but also to children’s sensibilities. That’s what drives me.
And so, a meeting that began with a mysterious chain of connections finally came true.
What Is the Mamorou PROJECT Snow Leopard?
The people I met were sisters Kozue and Satomi Kinoshita, who run the snow leopard conservation initiative “Mamorou PROJECT” (“Let’s Protect” Project), along with Professor Dale Manjiro Kikuchi of Tokyo University of Agriculture, who conducts research with them, and his seminar students.
The project was founded by Kozue, who holds a PhD, and Satomi, a copywriter.
The two sisters, with different specialties and careers, each put their strengths to work.
They ride horses into mountains thousands of meters high, cross dangerous narrow trails, and track footprints and traces in sub-zero temperatures. Their research is truly tough.
They also create and sell goods made from local materials, using the profits to fund conservation work.
Real Stories from the Field, Heard in Kyrgyzstan
The Kinoshita sisters, Professor Kikuchi, and his students were all friendly, easy to talk to, and completely down-to-earth.
It was a warm time together, with the atmosphere of their fieldwork shining through.
Above all, what stayed with me was the reality of their research.
Snow leopard research is anything but easy.
In mountainous Kyrgyzstan, they sometimes ride horses into high mountains thousands of meters above sea level and make their way along narrow, cliff-like paths.
I was especially surprised by the story of their first horse ride in Kyrgyzstan: they were put on horses without any explanation and made to ride fast over rough terrain. (Don’t worry, nothing like that happens on ASHU’s guided horse riding tours!)
On top of that, meals sometimes center on mutton, which neither sister likes, and sometimes they can’t take a bath for days on end.
It’s hardcore fieldwork that tests both your stamina and your stomach.
Even so, everyone’s faces were full of life, and they spoke with no hesitation at all.
You Can Help with Adorable, Heartwarming Snow Leopard Goods
One way we can help protect snow leopards is by “supporting through shopping.”
That means buying goods featuring the project’s character, “Yukihyo-san” (Mr. Snow Leopard). The design is heartwarming and incredibly cute.
Yukihyo-san goods can be bought online or in Japan, but if you’re coming to Kyrgyzstan, I recommend “OVOP (One Village One Product).”
This shop is part of a regional development project that started with support from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). It aims to boost local economies by turning each village’s specialty products (felt, honey, salt, and more) into goods for sale.
The felt coasters and plush toys of Yukihyo-san have cute designs and make great souvenirs in their own right. What’s more, all proceeds go toward snow leopard conservation.
A small purchase turns directly into the power to protect. I love that a system like this is right there in the city.
By the way, this OVOP shop is just a short walk from my home in Bishkek. It was a happy discovery to find this kind of initiative somewhere so easy to drop by.
If you’re in the area, please stop by and take a look (the shop, of course, not my house!).
🛒OVOP Shop https://ovopkg.com/
📍140 Toktogul Street, Bishkek *2GIS map → Shop page
Snow Leopards and Kyrgyzstan Feel So Much Closer Now
Honestly, the snow leopard used to be “cute but distant” to me. A phantom animal living quietly in the high mountains. A creature from another world that I’d only ever seen in photos and videos.
But this time, by meeting four Japanese people working in Kyrgyzstan, hearing their stories, and spending time together, that distance somehow shrank.
For years in Japan, people kept asking me, “Where is Kyrgyzstan?” Now I feel I’ve finally had an encounter here that I can truly talk about.
In a place I thought was far away, there are Japanese footprints, passion, and action.
That alone feels like it has redrawn the “map” in my heart, just a little.
We Don’t Have Snow Leopard Tours, but We Do Have Spectacular Horse Riding Tours
At ASHU TRAVEL, we offer horseback journeys through the magnificent nature of Central Asia, starting with Kyrgyzstan: breathtaking horse riding tours that will move your heart.
- A Japanese- or English-speaking guide accompanies you, so there’s no need to worry about language
- Meals, accommodation, and transfers all included, so first-timers can feel at ease
- Scenery you won’t see on ordinary sightseeing, and rich experiences of nomadic culture
Swaying on horseback, you’ll head into untouched nature. Your own “map” is sure to be redrawn, too.
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