The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), would be organising a series of thematic events across the country to highlight India’s leadership in big cat conservation and promote the objectives of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).

These programmes will focus on India’s five wild big cat species — Tiger, Asiatic Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah — and will showcase conservation achievements, challenges and collaborative actions by the Government of India and State Governments.

The thematic events will be organised at the following locations:

• Asiatic Lion Conservation Programme – Gir, Gujarat
• Cheetah Conservation Programme – Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
• Leopard Conservation & International Day for Biological Diversity Event – Bhubaneswar, Odisha
• Snow Leopard Conservation Programme – Gangtok, Sikkim
• Tiger Conservation Programme – Chandrapur, Maharashtra

These pre summit programmes are designed to promote awareness, strengthen stakeholder engagement and highlight India’s conservation success stories under flagship initiatives of the Government of India and how these have resulted in establishment of the IBCA under India’s leadership on a clarion call by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

Key Conservation Initiatives by Government of India and States

1. Asiatic Lion Conservation – Gir, Gujarat

Theme: India’s Unique Conservation Success

The Asiatic Lion survives exclusively in India and represents one of the world’s most successful species recovery programmes.

Major Steps Taken:

• Implementation of Project Lion for long-term conservation and habitat expansion.
• Scientific population monitoring and disease surveillance systems.
• Habitat improvement and prey augmentation in the Greater Gir landscape.
• Expansion of lion distribution beyond Gir Protected Area into surrounding landscapes.
• Rescue and rapid response teams for conflict mitigation.
• Role of communities like Maldharis in species conservation
• Gujarat Government initiatives for community engagement and livestock compensation mechanisms.

2. Tiger Conservation – Chandrapur, Maharashtra

Theme: Flagship of India’s Forest Conservation

India is home to over 70% of the world’s wild tiger population and has emerged as a global leader in tiger conservation through sustained efforts under Project Tiger and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Major Steps Taken:

• Strengthening and expansion of tiger reserves across the country.
• Landscape-level conservation and wildlife corridor protection.
• Use of modern technology including camera trapping, M-STrIPES and AI-enabled monitoring systems.
• Enhanced anti-poaching infrastructure and Special Tiger Protection Force deployment.
• Voluntary village relocation from core habitats.
• Community participation and eco-development initiatives around tiger reserves.
• Promoting wildlife tourism and livelihood to communities
• Maharashtra’s focused efforts in the Vidarbha landscape, including Chandrapur, to improve connectivity and reduce human-tiger conflict.

The Chandrapur event will highlight India’s remarkable recovery in tiger numbers and ongoing efforts to secure habitats and corridors.

Leopard Conservation & International Day for Biological Diversity – Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Theme: Coexistence in Human-Dominated Landscapes

Leopards are among the most widely distributed big cats in India and often inhabit areas close to human settlements.

Major Steps Taken:

• Human-wildlife conflict mitigation programmes and rapid response teams.
• Strengthening rescue and rehabilitation infrastructure.
• Public awareness campaigns promoting coexistence.
• Capacity building for frontline forest staff.
• Use of technology for tracking and monitoring conflict-prone individuals.
• Odisha’s biodiversity conservation initiatives linked with ecosystem restoration and community participation.

The Bhubaneswar event, coinciding with the observance of the International Day for Biological Diversity, will emphasise coexistence and biodiversity conservation in human-dominated landscapes.

Snow Leopard Conservation – Gangtok, Sikkim

Theme: Sentinel of the Himalaya

Snow Leopards are indicators of the ecological health of the Himalayan ecosystem and face threats from climate change and habitat degradation.

Major Steps Taken:

• Implementation of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) programme.
• Community-based conservation involving local Himalayan communities.
• Promotion of sustainable livelihoods and eco-tourism.
• Conservation of high-altitude habitats and prey species.
• Climate-resilient conservation planning in Himalayan landscapes.
• Collaboration with Himalayan states for transboundary conservation initiatives.

The Gangtok programme will focus on conservation of fragile mountain ecosystems and the role of local communities in protecting Snow Leopards.

Cheetah Conservation – Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Theme: Restoring India’s Grassland Ecosystems

India has initiated the world’s first intercontinental translocation project for large carnivores under Project Cheetah.

Major Steps Taken:

• Reintroduction of cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa into suitable habitats in Madhya Pradesh.
• Development of prey base and grassland ecosystems.
• Scientific monitoring through satellite collars and expert management protocols.
• Capacity building of field staff and veterinary teams.
• Long-term habitat management and expansion planning.
• Strengthening community outreach around release landscapes.

The Bhopal programme will highlight India’s pioneering efforts to restore cheetahs and revive grassland ecosystems.

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

The International Big Cat Alliance, launched by India, aims to strengthen global cooperation for the conservation of seven major big cat species worldwide. The thematic programmes will serve as platforms to:

• Highlight the first of its kind Global summit focusing on big cat conservation
• Promote global collaboration,
• Share conservation knowledge,
• Highlight policy initiatives,
• Enhance public awareness, and
• Reinforce India’s leadership in wildlife conservation.

The events are being organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in coordination with State Forest Departments, NTCA, Wildlife Institute of India, national Biodiversity Authority, Indina Insitiute of Forest Management and other stakeholders.

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VM