Big cats are apex predators that maintain ecological balance by regulating prey populations and preserving healthy ecosystems.
IBCA
- Genesis: It is a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 95 big cat range countries, non-range countries launched by India in 2023 to commemorate 50 years of India’s Project Tiger.
- Species Covered: Global conservation of 7 big cats namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma.
- Objective: To facilitate collaboration and synergy among stakeholders, consolidating successful conservation practices and expertise into a centralized repository.
- Nodal Agency: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Headquarter: New Delhi, India.
Conservation Status of 7 Big Cats
Big Cat | IUCN status | CITES Status | Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 |
Tiger (Panthera tigris) | Endangered | Appendix I | Schedule 1 |
Lion (Panthera leo) | Vulnerable | Appendix I (Only the populations of India); all other populations are included in Appendix II. | Schedule 1 and 4 |
Leopard (Panthera pardus) | Vulnerable | Appendix I | Schedule 1 |
Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) | Vulnerable | Appendix I | Schedule 1 |
Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) | Vulnerable | Appendix I | Schedule 1 |
Jaguar (Panthera onca) | Near Threatened | Appendix I | Schedule 4 |
Puma (Puma concolor) | Least Concern | Appendix I(Only the populations of Costa Rica and Panama); all other populations are included in Appendix II | Schedule 4 |
Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 introduces Chapter VB to enforce CITES provisions, and animals listed in the CITES appendices are incorporated into Schedule IV of the Act. | |||
