India Wants To Set Up Global Big Cat Alliance

NEW DELHI, (IANS) – India is going ahead with establishing a global alliance for big cats with a one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for a period of five years.

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), with its headquarters in India, aims to safeguard the future of big cats and the landscapes that they thrive in.

The tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah are the seven big cats, and out of these, five big cats, viz. tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, and cheetah are found in India.

“IBCA has secured India’s initial support of Rs 150 crore for five years (2023-24 to 2027-28). For augmented corpus, contributions from bilateral and multilateral agencies; other appropriate institutions and mobilizing financial support from public sector organizations, national and international financial institutions, and donor agencies will further be explored,” according to a Cabinet statement.

“The Alliance ensures sustainable use of natural resources and mitigates challenges emanating from climate change. By safeguarding big cats and their habitats, the IBCA contributes to natural climate adaptation, water and food security, and the well-being of thousands of communities reliant on these ecosystems. IBCA would instill cooperation among countries for mutual benefit and immensely contribute to furthering the long-term conservation agenda,” it added.

The alliance will work as a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries, as well as non-range countries that are interested in big cat conservation. Besides conservation partners and scientific organizations, it will also include business groups willing to contribute to the cause of big cats. “This will be a demonstrative step in a leadership position on the big cat agenda, to bring a range of countries and others on a common platform,” the statement said.