What is International Big Cat Alliance?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) for the conservation of seven major big cats - tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah in collaboration with countries harbouring these species.

The launch of IBCA follows the clarion call that was given to PM Modi back in July 2019, when he called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to firmly curb poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia.

What is India's plan for International Big Cat Alliance?

India will spend $100 million (over Rs 800 crore) in guaranteed funding over five years in an attempt to save the big cats. After five years, the alliance will be aided by membership fees and money from other organisations.

"Membership to the alliance will be open to 97 "range" countries, which contain the natural habitat of these big cats, as well as other interested nations, international organisations, etc," according to The Indian Express.

The alliance aims to create knowledge e-portal, laws, and partnerships. The main objective of the alliance is to improve eco-tourism and to rehabilitate the big cats.

India is leading this unique initiative because it is the only country in the world to possess leopards, lions, tigers, snow leopards, and cheetah in the wild. The big cats have become extinct in the wild.

The IBCA is a council of seven members elected by the UN General assembly for a term of five years.

Since 2014, there has been an increase in the population of big cats in the country.India is home to 52 Tiger Reserves covering approximately 75,000 Sq Km area in 18 States with approximately 75 per cent population of the wild tiger at global level.

India achieved the goal of doubling the tiger numbers in 2018 itself, four years in advance from the targeted year 2022. The tiger Population in India has increased from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018 and 3,167 in 2022.

The budgetary allocation for tiger conservation has increased from Rs 185 crore in 2014 to Rs 300 crore in 2022.

The population of Asiatic Lions has shown a steady increase with a population of 674 individuals with an increase rate of 28.87 per cent (one of the highest growth rate so far) from the 523 lions in 2015.

India now (2020) has 12,852 leopards as compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted 2014. More than 60 per cent increase in population has been recorded.

"Driven by PM's vision, the country successfully achieved the world's first ever wild-to-wild transcontinental translocation of a big cat (Cheetah) in 2022 and reversed a historic wrong of extinction of Cheetah," the statement read.

"One plank of the efforts of the government is to positively impact the wildlife population through conservation efforts. A parallel plank is an immense focus of the government on ending poaching. This bore fruit last year with the end result being zero poaching of rhinoceros in Assam," it added