March 2023 marked the inaugural Global Leopard Conference, which brought together hundreds of researchers, students, conservationists and enthusiasts in the first-ever international gathering dedicated to Panthera pardus, the leopard.

Despite being a well-known and charismatic species, the conference presentations and discussion groups overwhelmingly indicated that leopards are still greatly in need of awareness raising, support and investment. As a lasting legacy of the Global Leopard Conference, International Leopard Day was officialised and endorsed to give it a permanent and meaningful place on the global wildlife calendar, encouraging enthusiasts to promote and celebrate leopards worldwide.