It is a global initiative for the conservation of the world’s seven big cats: the tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma (Cougar/Mountain Lion), Jaguar, and Cheetah.
- Launched on the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger by India.
Objectives:
- Promote conservation & protection of big cats and their habitats.
- Strengthen global collaboration, research, and knowledge sharing.
- Ensure sustainable practices in big cat range countries.
- Mobilise financial & technical support for conservation projects.
- Build capacity in law enforcement to tackle wildlife crime & poaching.
Implementation
- IBCA was established through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Headquarters
- New Delhi, India.
Membership: Membership is open to all UN Member States, including:
- Range countries, where big cats naturally occur.
- Non-range countries that are interested in supporting global conservation of big cats.
Funding
- The Indian government has committed ₹150 crore as one-time budgetary support for the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) for five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
Source: The Hindu