"International Big Cat Alliance Expands, Faces Delivery Test"
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
treaty-based intergovernmental body for conserving seven big cat species, headquartered in India
Apex predator
a species at the top of the food chain whose health reflects the ecosystem's health
India's own conservation record gave rise to this global idea. Project Tiger, started in 1973, grew into one of the world's largest species conservation programmes. It helped India recover the Asiatic lion and build skills in protecting leopards and snow leopards. The cheetah went extinct in India in 1952. Starting in 2022, cheetahs were brought in from Africa under a reintroduction project. Because of this, India is now home to five of the world's seven big cat species: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah. Only the jaguar and the puma, both found in the Americas, are missing from India. Legal protection for these species rests on the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Under this Act, India's national parks and sanctuaries were created. Building on this base, the Prime Minister launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) in April 2023. It became a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation and an international legal entity on 23 January 2025. Its headquarters are in India. The idea behind it is simple: big cats move across political borders that conservation laws and parks do not. Protecting them needs cooperation between countries, not just action inside one country's parks.
The IBCA's mandate covers seven species: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma. Membership has grown to 33 member and observer countries after Venezuela joined. Venezuela is a home range for both the jaguar and the puma. Big cats need enough prey, safe habitat and room to move. But protected areas are usually too small to hold their full range. Animals often cross into farms, ranches and infrastructure corridors. This means decisions on roads, mining, canals and farmland shape their survival as much as park management does. A well-designed wildlife corridor connects separated patches of habitat. …
Consider the following statements regarding the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA):
1.It was launched in 2023 and became a treaty-based international organisation in 2025.
2.It covers seven big cat species found across Asia, Africa and the Americas.
3.Its headquarters is located in India.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Match the following big cat species with the region where they are naturally found:
Species:
1.Jaguar
2.Puma
3.Snow Leopard
4.Asiatic Lion
Region:
A.High-altitude mountains of Central/South Asia
B.Gir forest region of India
C.Forests of Central and South America
D.Wide range across the Americas (North to South)
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, referred to in connection with big cat conservation reporting, was adopted under which international convention?
In which year did the cheetah become extinct in India, leading decades later to its reintroduction from African countries?
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