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(Relevance: The initiatives started by India are always important for your UPSC exam. Species and national parks or wildlife sanctuaries that are in the news become important for the Prelims exam. Therefore, it is important to know what this alliance comprises and which animals are protected under it.)
On January 23, the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 for the global conservation of seven big cats, formally became a full-fledged treaty-based intergovernmental organization. As per the framework agreement, the Indian government serves as the depository for instruments of ratification, approval, or accession from countries seeking to become parties to the agreement.
Key Takeaways:
1. The framework agreement entering into force marks the official start of the IBCA’s operations, activities, and programmes as mandated. It can now establish its governing bodies, secretariat, and administrative structures. 27 countries including India have consented to join IBCA.
2. Five signatory countries, including India, were required to ratify and formally deposit their instrument of ratification for the IBCA framework agreement to come into force. Liberia became a party to the framework agreement last month, the fifth to ratify the agreement along with India, Nicaragua, Eswatini, and Somalia, the MEA stated.
3. The IBCA is an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2023 in Mysuru commemorating the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger. The objective of the IBCA is to ensure cooperation for the conservation of seven big cats: lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, snow leopard, jaguar, and puma, and enhance knowledge exchange and threats associated with them.
4. Besides range countries (which house one or more of these big cats), the alliance also includes “non-range countries interested in big cat conservation, conservation partners, and scientific organisations working in the field of big cat conservation.
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5. India formally joined the IBCA in September 2024. Prior to that, the Union Cabinet had approved the establishment of IBCA’s headquarters in February 2024 and cleared a one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for it for the 2023-24 to 2027-28 period.
About the Big Cats
1. Lion (Panthera Leo): Native to Africa and Asia, the lion is the most social cat, and lives in groups called prides. They prefer open forests such as scrubland, and adult males have a prominent mane. Project Lion was announced in August 2020 to secure the future of Asiatic lions through comprehensive, long-term conservation efforts. August 10 is observed as World Lion Day annually to raise awareness of the rapidly diminishing lion population and the critical need for their conservation. Gujarat is the only home of the Asiatic Lions.
2. Leopard (Panthera Pardus): There are nine species of leopards, which are found in both Asia and Africa. The leopard, the smallest of the big cats, is well known for its ability to adapt to a variety of settings. This species is a nocturnal mammal, they can hunt at night. The “Status of Leopards in India, 2022” report states that there were 13784 leopards in India in 2022 compared to 12,852 in 2018.
3. Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia): The mountainous regions of twelve Asian countries—Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—make up the habitat range of the snow leopard. The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI), 2024 has estimated a population of 718 in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
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4. Tiger (Panthera Tigris): According to the fifth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2022 summary report, India is home to about 3,167 tigers, accounting for more than 70 per cent of the world’s wild tigers. Project Tiger, a centrally sponsored scheme, was launched in 1973 in nine reserves throughout the states of Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal for the conservation of Tiger.
5. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus): India was home to Asiatic cheetahs, and not the African subspecies that were introduced in 2022. The Asiatic cheetah is classified as a “critically endangered” species by the IUCN Red List and is believed to survive only in Iran. While African Cheetah is listed as a vulnerable (VU) species on the IUCN Red List. The intercontinental translocation of African cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh was launched under Project Cheetah (2022).
6. Jaguars (Panthera Onca): Jaguars are not native to India and are mainly found in South America. Melanistic (black) Jaguars are common and are often called black panthers. Jaguar was a powerful motif in the Mayan and Aztec civilisations.
Puma (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)
7. Puma (Puma concolor): Closely related to the domestic cat, this genus has only one extant species, the cougar. It is the biggest of the “small cats”. They are also called ‘mountain lions’ and ‘panthers’ across their range from the Canadian Yukon to the Southern Andes. They are not native to India.
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| Big Cats | IUCN Status | Schedule (WPA, 1972) |
| Tiger | Endangered | Schedule 1 |
| Cheetah | Asian – Critically endangered
African – Vulnerable |
Schedule 1
Schedule 1 |
| Leopard | Vulnerable | Schedule 1 |
| Lion | Vulnerable | Schedule 1 |
| Snow Leopard | Vulnerable | Schedule 1 |
| Jaguar |
Near Threatened | – |
| Puma |
Least Concern | – |
(Source: IUCN, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972)
BEYOND THE NUGGET: Important National Parks/Wildlife Sanctuary
1. Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand: Located at the foothills of Himalayas, near Nainital, the park in itself is legendary; it was the first national park in India and it is here that Project Tiger was launched.
2. Sunderban National Park, West Bengal: Sunderban National Park is a biosphere reserve, national park, and tiger reserve. It is also famed for the Sunderban Delta, which is the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well. The national park is famous for the Royal Bengal Tiger, and other wildlife which includes fishing cats, macaques, leopard cats, Indian grey mongoose, wild boar, flying fox, pangolin, and Indian grey mongoose.
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3. Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh: It has been notified as the 57th Tiger Reserve of the country in December 2024. It has a core area of 763.8 sq km, buffer area of 507.6 sq km and total area of 1271.4 sq km. Now, there are Eight tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh.
| Tiger Reserve |
| A tiger reserve in India is a designated area established under the Project Tiger initiative of 1973 to ensure the conservation of tigers and their habitats. These reserves are part of the government’s efforts to protect the tiger population, maintain biodiversity, and restore ecological balance |
4. Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh: Located in the heart of Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the best places to spot tigers in their natural habitat. It has the highest density of Bengal tigers in India.
(Source: Cabinet announces International ‘Big Cat’ Alliance, International Tiger Day: Spot The Big Cat At These National Parks In India, Cheetahs and others: know the 7 big cats)
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