India to set up international big cat alliance
₹150 crore (for five years) will lead initiatives to disseminate good practices in conserving big cats," Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav told reporters on Friday. Globally, the ‘big cats’ include the tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar, and cheetah. Barring the puma and jaguar, the rest are found in India, with the latest—the cheetah—having been translocated under an experimental programme from South Africa to Kuno in Madhya Pradesh.
At present, there is a gap in many ‘big cat’ countries in resources, and in standardised practices and processes. There is no international body addressing the conservation challenges of big cats across their range of habitats. The pioneering and long-standing tiger and other big cat conservation good practices which have evolved in India can be replicated in many other countries, Yadav said.
Under this, India plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with 16 nations, including Cambodia, to translocate one male and two female tigers and these nations have already given their written consent to be part of the IBCA. There are 96 countries that harbour ‘big cats’ and the alliance is keen on other countries, conservation organisations, scientific organisations, businesses, and corporates interested in joining and supporting ‘big cats.’ A memorandum between India and Cambodia will help the country revive its extinct tiger population. There have been visits by Indian forest officials to ascertain the suitability of forests for reviving and sustaining a tiger population.
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