India to launch global alliance for big cats, invest $100 million

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
• Composition of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
• Is India Home to All Seven Big Cats?

Why in News?

• Government of India has proposed to launch a mega global alliance under its leadership to protect big cats and assured support over five years with guaranteed funding of USD100 million (over Rs 800 crore).

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

• The Government of India has proposed to set up the International Big Cat Alliance.
• Aim – work towards the protection and conservation of the seven major big cats — tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah.
• Membership to the alliance will be open to 97 “range” countries.
  • These are the countries which contain the natural habitat of these big cats.
• According to a proposed timeline, the alliance is expected to be launched next month in India.
• According to sources in the Environment Ministry, the alliance was “inspired by the arrival of cheetahs” last year from Namibia.
• IBCA’s major activities will include “advocacy, partnership, knowledge e-portal, capacity building, eco-tourism, partnerships between expert groups and finance tapping”.

Composition of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

• The IBCA’s governance structure will comprise –           
  • General Assembly consisting of all member countries,
  • A council of at least seven but not more than 15 member countries elected by the General Assembly for a term of 5 years, and
  • A Secretariat.
• Upon the recommendation of the Council, the General Assembly will appoint the IBCA Secretary General for a specific term.

Is India Home to All Seven Big Cats?

• As mentioned earlier, there are 7 major big cats –
  • Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah
• India is home to 5 of these big cats – 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) Which animal is feline?

Feline, (family Felidae), any of 37 cat species that among others include the cheetah, puma, jaguar, leopard, lion, lynx, tiger, and domestic cat.

Q2) Why did Cheetah become extinct in India?

Cheetahs were once widespread in India and became extinct in 1952 from hunting and loss of habitat. They remain the first and only predator to die out since India’s independence in 1947.

Source: India to launch global alliance for big cats, invest $100 million