Nepal Joins India-led International Big Cat Alliance for Conservation

Nepal became a formal member of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) in August 2025, which is a major India-driven global effort for the conservation of seven prominent big cat species. This is a milestone that signifies an enhanced partnership in the conservation of some of the globe's most celebrated and threatened feral cats such as tigers, snow leopards, and leopards—animals that are indigenous to Nepal's vast biodiversity. 

Background of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

The IBCA was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9th April 2023 in Mysuru, India. It is a revolutionary international coalition seeking to protect seven big cat species: tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma. With more than 90 member states, ranging and non-ranging countries—the alliance seeks to enhance global cooperation to rescue big cats from threats like poaching, habitat destruction, and climate change.

The Indian Union Cabinet approved the formation of the IBCA in February 2024, and the headquarters of the organization is in India. The association is to promote the sharing of expertise, resources, and technology among members to coordinate big cat conservation globally.

Objectives and Functions of IBCA

The main objective of the IBCA is to foster synergy between member nations, conservationists, researchers, and policymakers. It serves as a global forum to:

• Share and coordinate conservation knowledge, best practices, and scientific data.

• Offer a common source of technical information and financial support for big cat conservation.

• Enhance existing intergovernmental networks dedicated to a specific big cat species.

Facilitate broader ecological security and climate change mitigation efforts through the conservation of apex predators such as big cats.

Importance of Nepal's Membership

Nepal has three of the seven major cat species protected under IBCA—tiger, snow leopard, and common leopard—and hence its involvement is vital. Its extensive habitats from dense lowland forests to the Himalayan ranges covered with snow give them necessary ecosystems.

Membership with the IBCA would help Nepal in its conservation efforts by means of networking and shared resources with countries that are also members. It is characterized by Nepal as a country that is committed to ecological security, and it contributes to the campaigns towards recovering big cats. The alliance applauded this measure to Nepal as efforts to ensure the connectivity of forests and mountain corridors is vital in ensuring that these great animals will be available in the future.

India in the Leadership Role IBCA

India, whose decades-long experience of saving the big cats such as the Project Tiger, is the driving force behind the IBCA. Protection of lions, snow leopards and leopards is also considered under the global lead of India. The IBCA is co-ordinated par the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) of India and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change thus India is a well reputed example of tiger conservation globally.

The importance of India in making progress in the establishment of protected areas, instituting anti-poaching systems, and exploiting the community approach can serve lessons to other member nations.

International Contribution of the Alliance

The International Big Cat Alliance is a comprehensive global action plan to save big cat species central to the health of their eco systems. It offers transnational cooperation, resource pooling and joint policy making to tackle the challenging problem of habitat fragmentation, poaching, unlawful trade in wildlife and impacts of climate change.

The efficacy of the alliance is anchored on an active membership and collaboration amongst the member states including Nepal which enhances collaborative capacity in containing the dropping indices of large cats worldwide.

The fact that Nepal is a member of the International Big Cat Alliance strengthens the global network of big cat conservation that oversees international borders and promotes collaboration. The alignment of its objectives and that of the collective vision of IBCA takes Nepal and other member countries a large step closer to ensuring the endurance of big cats and the protection of the natural ecosystem of the world's most endearing natural habitats.