Knowledge Nugget | India and International Big Cat Alliance: All you need to know for UPSC Exam

Why in the news?

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) signed an agreement with the central government on Thursday (April 17) formalising India as the headquarters and secretariat of the alliance, over two months after it came into force as a full-fledged treaty-based intergovernmental organisation.

Key Takeaways :

1. According to IBCA’s official site, “it is a multi-country, multi-agency coalition comprising of 95 big cat range countries, non-range countries with an interest in big cat conservation, conservation partners, scientific organizations engaged in big cat research, as well as business groups and corporates committed to supporting big cat conservation efforts.”

2. The IBCA was launched at the initiative of India to focus on global conservation of seven big cats —the tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the IBCA in April 2023 during the 50th year celebrations of Project Tiger.

3. India formally joined the IBCA in September 2024. After five signatory countries—India, Liberia, Eswatini, Somalia, and Nicaragua—ratified the IBCA framework agreement, the alliance came into force as a global legal entity. In February 2024 the cabinet approved the establishment of the IBCA’s headquarters as well as the budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for it for the 2023-24 to 2027-28 period.

What are the 7 Big Cats covered under IBCA?

1. Tiger (Panthera Tigris): Panthera tigris, the continental tiger, and Panthera tigris sondaica, the Sunda tiger, are the two recognised subspecies of tigers.  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.

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📌Conservation Status: IUCN Red List-Endangered, Schedule 1 under Wildlife Protection Act (WPA, 1972)

📌Conservation Efforts: Project Tiger (1973) , Establishment of National Tiger Conservation Authority, Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS) Accreditation.

ALSO READ | UPSC Issue at a Glance | Why Tigers Matter: Environmental, cultural, and economic significance of India’s apex predator

2. Lion (Panthera Leo): Most sociable when compared to other big cat species, Lions are found in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, a tiny population of Asiatic lions in India’s Gir National Park, and a severely endangered subpopulation in West Africa.

Lion (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)

📌Conservation Status: IUCN Red List- Vulnerable, Schedule 1 under WPA, 1972

📌Conservation Efforts: Project Lion (announced on August 15, 2020), Use of advanced technologies in Lion conservation.

3. Leopard (Panthera Pardus): 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. It eats smaller herbivorous animals found in its vicinity. There are nine species of leopards, which are found in both Asia and Africa. The “Status of Leopards in India, 2022” report states that there were 13784 leopards in India in 2022 compared to 12,852 in 2018. The maximum population of leopards is found in Madhya Pradesh (3907) followed by Maharashtra (1985), and Karnataka (1879).

African Leopard (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)

📌Conservation Status: IUCN Red List- Vulnerable, Schedule 1 under WPA, 1972

📌Conservation Efforts: The leopard is not among the species for whom a “species-specific conservation program” has been defined because there is no evidence that the species is at risk of going extinct in the country. However, The World Wildlife Fund offers assistance to bolster anti-poaching endeavours within protected regions, thereby mitigating the poaching of leopards.

4. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus): Cheetahs are well-known for their tawny coats speckled with black dots, which are placed in a distinctive pattern to aid in animal identification. India was home to Asiatic cheetahs. According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, In 1952, the cheetah bid farewell to India, succumbing to a culmination of threats. Now, the Asiatic cheetah is believed to survive only in Iran. 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).

📌Conservation Status: IUCN Red List- Asiatic cheetah “critically endangered”, African Cheetah is listed as a vulnerable (VU), WPA, 1972: Asiatic cheetah-Schedule 1, African Cheetah-Schedule 1.

📌Conservation Efforts: Project Cheetah (2022)

5. Snow Leopard: Also known as “Ghost of the Mountains”, Snow Leopards, can climb steep hills easily while their rear legs help them to leap over six times of their own length of the body.  The mountainous regions of twelve Asian countries—Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Russia and Uzbekistan—make up the habitat range of the snow leopard. A survey taken by the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) has estimated a population of 718 Snow Leopards in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Most of the habitat of the Snow Leopard is not accessible by roads.

📌Conservation Status: IUCN Red List- Vulnerable, Schedule 1 under WPA, 1972

Puma (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)

6. Puma (Puma concolor): Sometimes referred to as a mountain lion, cougar, or panther, Puma is the biggest of the “small cats.” Closely related to the domestic cat, this genus has only one extant species, the cougar. They are not native to India.

📌Conservation Status: IUCN Red List- Least Concern

7. Jaguars (Panthera Onca): Jaguars are distinguished swimmers, they 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.

Jaguar (Photo source: Wikimedia Commons)

📌Conservation Status: IUCN Red List- Near Threatened

For Quick Revision

(Sources: IUCN, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972  ntca.gov.in, worldwildlife.org, ibca.world)

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Project Tiger

As IBCA was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2023 in Mysuru, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger. After knowing about the IBCA and big cats, let’s take a look at Project Tiger.

1. The ‘Project Tiger’ is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, in a bid to promote conservation of the tiger. The programme came at a time when India’s tiger population was rapidly dwindling.

2. To tackle the problem of hunting and poaching of not just tigers but also other animals and birds, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi promulgated the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972. A year later, after a task force urged the government to create a chain of reserves dedicated to tiger preservation, government unveiled Project Tiger.

3. Launched at the Jim Corbett National Park, the programme was initially started in nine tiger reserves of different States such as Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, covering over 14,000 sq km.

4. Notably, Project Tiger didn’t just focus on the conservation of the big cats. It also ensured the preservation of their natural habitat as tigers are at the top of the food chain.

Post Read Question

Consider the following statements regarding the International Big Cat Alliance:

1.  The alliance only includes “range countries” interested in big cat conservation.

2. Among the seven big cats, six are found in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

(Sources: Knowledge nugget of the day: India’s 58th tiger reserve, Wildlife Week 2024 Special: International Big Cat Alliance and India,

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