India to set up International Big Cat Alliance

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)?
• Is India Home to All Seven Big Cats? 

Why in news?

• The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) with headquarters in India with a one-time budgetary support of Rs.150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
• Framework of Agreement of IBCA has been drafted largely on the pattern of International Solar Alliance (ISA).

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International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

• It was launched by the Indian Prime Minister in Mysuru on April 9, 2023, at an event commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger in India.
• Objective: Strengthen global cooperation and efforts for conservation of seven big cat species (tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma) and their habitats.
  • Out of the seven big cats, five — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, and cheetah — are found in India.
• The alliance aims to reach out to 97 range countries covering the natural habitats of the seven big cats.
• IBCA has been conceived as a multi-country, multi-agency coalition to strengthen global cooperation and mobilise financial and technical resources to support the entire ecosystem associated with the conservation of these species and their habitats. 
• It will serve as an evolving platform for convergence of knowledge and best practices, supporting existing specific inter-governmental platforms, while also providing direct support to recovery efforts in potential range habitats.
• IBCA would have a multi-pronged approach in broad-basing and establishing linkages in several areas and help in knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, networking, advocacy, finance, and resource support.
• IBCA governance consists of an assembly of members, a standing committee, and a secretariat with its headquarters in India.
• IBCA has secured the Government of India’s initial support of Rs. 150 crore for five years (2023-24 to 2027-28).

Is India Home to All Seven Big Cats?

• Out of 7 big cats, India is home to 5: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah
• Royal Bengal Tiger
  • As per the latest Tiger Census conducted in 2018-19, tiger population in India has increased to 2967.
  • India now accounts for about 70% of the world’s tiger population.
• Asiatic Lion
  • Gir National Park in Gujarat is the last abode for the surviving population of the Asiatic Lions in the world.
  • Since the late 1960s, population of Asiatic Lions has increased from less than 200 to 674 (Census 2020).
• Leopard
  • It is estimated that 12,000-14,000 leopards occur in India, and the population is the most genetically diverse/outbred out of all the subspecies in Asia.
• Snow Leopard
  • Snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia.
  • In India, their geographical range encompasses a large part of the western Himalayas including the territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas.
  • In 2021, there are about 7,500 snow leopards left in the world, out of which 500 are in India.
• Cheetah
  • Cheetah had become extinct in India since 1952.
  • In September 2022, Cheetahs have been reintroduced in the wild in India as 8 Cheetahs were imported from Namibia.
  • They were released into the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in November, 2022.

Q1) What is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership union of governments and civil society organizations. The IUCN was established in 1948 and is the first global environmental union.

Q2) What is the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)?

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is dedicated to protecting the world’s wildlife by directing its conservation efforts toward protecting endangered spaces and addressing global threats.

Source: India to set up International Big Cat Alliance | PIB | NDTV