IBCA

IBCA and India Foundation Signed MoU Date 12 February, 2026. On 12 February 2026, India Foundation and IBCA entered into an MoU to enhance the understanding and implementation of sustainable development practices in the context of big cat conservation and the surrounding population.

Union Environment Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav presents awards to Winners of Global Big Cats Photography Competition 2025. The awards ceremony was organised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in collaboration with the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), Aarts Maestro and the Uttar Pradesh EcoTourism Development Board, as a pre-summit event to the forthcoming Global Summit on Big Cat Conservation in 2026.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Yadav described how India’s thriving ecosystems are the foundation of its thriving wildlife. In the past decade, he shared, India’s forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445 square kilometers, with 25.17% green cover now. The Protected Area Network has grown to 1,022, covering 5.43% of the geographical area of the country, he added. The Minister further informed about the addition of the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in Himachal Pradesh into the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, with it getting recognized as India's first high-altitude Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, marking India's 13th site in the network. Further, 487 eco-sensitive zones now act as vital corridors for wildlife movement, he informed.

The Minister also noted the stellar work being done by our institutions that have been the backbone of this transformation. NTCA introduced smart patrols and the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest camera-trap survey, while the Wildlife Institute of India has emerged as a global hub for AI-based monitoring, modern research, and robust science. “This is the New India of Conservation — driven by science, guided by values”, he noted. Shri Yadav also highlighted the pivotal role of Jan Bhagidari in ensuring success in wildlife conservation. He quoted examples of programmes like Himal Rakshaks in Ladakh, Cheetah Mitras in Madhya Pradesh, and Vanya Prani Mitras in Gujarat, that embody the power of community stewardship.

Talking about the importance of the Global Photography Competition, Shri Yadav said that it holds special significance as it forms part of the pre-summit events leading to the upcoming Global Summit on Big Cat Conservation, which will be hosted by India in 2026. “The Summit will mark a milestone moment in the collective global efforts to secure the future of the seven majestic big cat species—the Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Jaguar, Cheetah, and Puma—that together represent the grandeur and ecological richness of our planet. This event is also significant as it is being celebrated on the 8th of October, commemorating Wildlife Week in India, a time when we reaffirm our collective commitment to the protection of our precious flora and fauna,” he added.

The Minister extended congratulations to all the winners and participants and stated, “Your passion for wildlife and your commitment to portraying the splendour of big cats contribute significantly to the larger mission of global conservation.”

The Global Big Cats Photography Competition complements this mission by serving not merely as a contest of artistic excellence, but as a celebration of nature, wildlife, and the deep human connection with the natural world. This year’s competition drew entries from more than 1,000 participants, showcasing thousands of breathtaking photographs from some of the most diverse wilderness regions of the world. After rigorous evaluation, 456 entries were shortlisted for the final jury selection, leading to the recognition of the winning photographs. The winners of the competition were felicitated by the Minister, in the august presence of Ambassadors of Big Cat Range Countries, officials of MoEFCC, Ministry of External Affairs, Uttar Pradesh Eco-Tourism Development Board, and various conservation organisations.

The Winners of the competition are:

• Mr. Rajarshi Banerji – 1st Prize
• Mr. Abhijit Chattopadhyay – 2nd Prize
• Mr. Narayan Malu – 3rd Prize
• Mr. Anosh Koppikar – 4th Prize
• Mr. Prasad Hamine – 5th Prize
• Mr. Jeetendra Chaware – 6th Prize
• Mr. Vishwas Patwardhan – 7th Prize
• Mr. Vinod Sharma – 8th Prize

International Big Cat Alliance conducted a session in the 2nd Indian Conservation Conference 2025 held in the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. The session was organized under the theme of Big Cat Conservation: Strategies, Challenges, Best Practices and Innovations, with six expert talks that discussed their ongoing work and field experiences. The session's opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Kausik Banerjee, Lead Program IBCA, while Dr. Tamali Mondal, Program Associate, moderated the session.

Dr Dennis Ikanda, Wildlife Species Lead, WWF Tanzania highlighted key efforts to protect lions and reduce human-wildlife conflict. He spoke about the role of Lion Guardians, trained Maasai warriors who protect livestock, track lion movements, and alert communities when lions are nearby. He also highlighted the use of practical deterrents such as living walls, solar-powered lights, and early warning systems to prevent attacks on livestock. On the research side, he emphasized the use of satellite collars and population censuses to monitor lion movements and identify critical habitats. Dr Ikanda also drew attention to ongoing work to restore wildlife corridors, combat poaching, and engage communities through workshops and trained coexistence officers, all aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence between people and lions.

Dr Patrick Lendrum, Program Manager, Great Plains Program, WWF US discussed the challenges, successes, and opportunities in puma conservation. He noted that pumas historically ranged across 23–28 countries, though they are now largely absent from the eastern United States where they once thrived. Key threats include habitat loss and fragmentation, both legal and illegal hunting, a decline in native prey, genetic isolation, and disease. Dr Lendrum also highlighted promising tools and strategies being used to support puma conservation, such as remote cameras, GPS collars, improved livestock enclosures, carnivore exclosures, and growing efforts in public education and awareness. He shared two key examples: the Santa Cruz Puma Project in North America, which studies the impacts of habitat fragmentation on puma behavior and ecology; and work in Patagonia National Park in South America, which focuses on increasing public tolerance and awareness around pumas.

Ms Sarah Stoner, Intelligence Lead, Go Insight, presented Cat Byte, a cutting-edge platform that provides data-driven insights into the trade of big cats. By integrating advanced analytics with intelligence methodologies, CatByte helps identify patterns, assess risks, and reveal key dynamics related to the trade in eight big cat species. Stoner highlighted trends from the past 25 years, shedding light on how big cats have been traded as commodities, examining demand and supply across different geographies. Her presentation underscored the importance of actionable intelligence in tackling the illegal wildlife trade and informing targeted conservation strategies.

Ms Valeria Boron, PhD, Jaguar Lead, WWF-UK, presented on Jaguar Conservation: Innovations, Opportunities, and Implementation of Biodiversity and Climate Commitments. She noted that jaguars can also be melanistic and that their range spans 9% of the world’s land area, which hosts 28% of global biodiversity. She outlined key threats to the species, including habitat loss due to infrastructure, agriculture, mining, climate change, forest fires, direct killings from human-jaguar conflict, and illegal trade. Boron linked jaguar conservation to the Global Biodiversity Framework, highlighting its relevance to targets 4, 5, 9, and 12, among others.

She stressed that conserving jaguars is essential to maintaining global ecological stability and warned that inaction could result in losing the 1.5°C climate goal. She also highlighted the Jaguar 2030 Conservation Roadmap for the Americas and emphasized current efforts to secure strong jaguar strongholds, build habitat connectivity, stop jaguar killings, catalyse regional cooperation, and create the enabling conditions needed for long-term conservation success.

Dr Koustubh Sharma, Director of Science and Conservation, Snow Leopard Trust, Kyrgyzstan, spoke on the realities and challenges of snow leopard conservation. He emphasized that snow leopards, found across 12 countries, are not only iconic species but also ambassadors of international cooperation. Dr Sharma highlighted the importance of community engagement in mitigating conflict and reducing negative interactions between people and snow leopards.

He also presented findings from a recent genome sequencing study, which revealed that snow leopards have the lowest genetic diversity among the Panthera genus, making them especially vulnerable to environmental changes and disease. Thanks to advances in technology, particularly GPS collaring, researchers can now better estimate snow leopard populations, he said, a task that was nearly impossible in the past due to the species' elusive nature and remote habitat.

Mr Pravir Deshmukh, Senior Counsellor at the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, India, spoke on the business case for investing in big cat conservation. He emphasized the importance of recognizing nature-related risks within business value chains and introduced India-specific tools designed to assess these risks. Mr. Deshmukh also showcased case studies of Indian organizations that have integrated wildlife conservation into their CSR initiatives, demonstrating how aligning business strategies with biodiversity goals can contribute to both ecological and economic sustainability.

A delegation from the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), comprising Mr. Soumitra Dasgupta, Director (Program), and Mr. Aditya Bisht, Programme Associate, participated in the IX Steering Committee Meeting of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Programme (GSLEP) held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan from 5-6th June, 2025.

In the sidelines of the meeting, bilateral discussions were held with Hon'ble Ministers and Senior Representatives from Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Meaningful dialogues were held with key international conservation partners, multilateral organizations connected with Snow Leopard conservation including Snow Leopard Trust, WWF International, NABU, UNDP, UNEP, and GEF, where IBCA’s objectives and ongoing initiatives were shared. The IBCA team extended formal invitations to these countries and organizations to join the alliance and work in synergy towards big cat conservation.

These engagements appeared to be extremely fruitful and expected to yield promising outcomes, with the participating countries expressing keen interest and providing assurances of their support and future participation in IBCA’s initiatives. Conservation organizations also conveyed their appreciation for India’s leadership and expressed willingness to explore future collaborations with IBCA.

Mr. Soumitra Dasgupta chaired the session titled “Strengthening Ethical Foundations and Local Community Leadership in Snow Leopard Conservation.” During the session, he emphasized the critical role of integrating ethical conservation practices and empowering local communities as frontline stewards of snow leopard habitats. He also highlighted the potential for meaningful collaboration between IBCA, GSLEP, and the Ethical Conservation Alliance. He extolled on the participation of GSLEP/ ECA in the upcoming International Conference on Big Cats conservation, proposed to be held in India in the month of February, 2026 (tentatively).

Later in the forenoon, Mr. Soumitra Dasgupta delivered a comprehensive and insightful presentation about the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), articulating its vision, mission, and its strategic significance in strengthening big cat conservation globally. He elaborated on IBCA’s objectives, key activities, and collaborative approach in addressing conservation challenges, particularly for snow leopard, due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, illegal wildlife trade, and the threat of climate change.

He elaborated on the unique role of IBCA as a global conservation alliance, led and supported by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India for inclusive conservation action, bringing together 95 big cats range countries, international organizations, and financial institutions to pool resources, share best practices, and foster collective action for the conservation of seven major big cat species and their habitats.

During the presentation, appeal was made to the Snow Leopard range countries and international conservation partners to consider formally joining IBCA, thereby becoming active contributors to this global movement. He urged that collective participation would not only strengthen conservation outcomes but would also demonstrate solidarity towards the protection of shared ecological heritage. A significant outcome of the meeting was the adoption of the Cholpon-Ata Resolution, which emphasized enhancing financial mechanisms for climate adaptation and conflict mitigation, with a particular focus on supporting Indigenous peoples and local communities. Importantly, the resolution made reference to IBCA, signalling growing recognition of its role and indicating the potential for future collaboration with GSLEP and the Ethical Conservation Alliance.

The participation of IBCA in the IX Steering Committee Meeting of GSLEP was highly productive and strategically significant. It provided an excellent platform to strengthen diplomatic and conservation partnerships, enhance the visibility of IBCA on the international stage, and lay the groundwork for further collaborations in the future.

Mr. Soumitra Dasgupta, Director (Program) and Dr. Kausik Banerjee, Lead Specialist, International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) represented IBCA at the UNFCCC COP 29 held at Baku, Azerbaijan. IBCA organized one side event on “The Intersection of Conservation and Development: The Role of the International Big Cat Alliance in Safeguarding Wildlife Corridors” on 14-11-2024 at the pavilion of Coalition of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in Blue Zone of COP 29.

The key speakers for the session were Mr. Stewart Maginnis from IUCN and Dr. Koustubh Sharma from Global Snow Leopard Ecosystems Protection Program (GSLEP).

The session highlighted the critical importance of wildlife corridors in maintaining genetic diversity and ensuring the survival of big cat populations. Experts emphasized the need for integrated landscape management to connect fragmented habitats and facilitate safe movement for big cats. The need for robust policies and legal frameworks to protect wildlife corridors was a major takeaway. Panellists called for stronger collaboration between governments, NGOs, and international organizations to ensure the effective implementation of conservation policies. Innovative financing mechanisms, including carbon credits and public-private partnerships, were discussed as potential solutions to address funding gaps for safeguarding big cat landscapes and called for sustained financing in climate change issues, directly impacting biodiversity conservation.

The session also showcased how potentially IBCA can encourage member nations to work together to minimize the negative effects of linear infrastructure on wildlife corridors by focusing on capacity building and sharing best practices, particularly in developing economies. The IBCA's advocacy is likely to persuade countries to prioritize conservation in their development plans. The session highlights the imperativeness of maintaining delicate balance between conservation and development through the prism of the majestic big cats.

Potential Impact of the Side Event Organized by IBCA

Enhanced Organizational Visibility & Outreach: The event will boost IBCA's profile, reaching a wider audience and strengthening its presence in the field of sustainable infrastructure.
Knowledge Sharing: Valuable insights will be gained from experts on best practices and innovative solutions for mitigating the impacts of linear infrastructures.
Networking: Connections with leading organizations, professionals, and policymakers will foster collaborations, enabling more effective and sustainable infrastructure projects and supporting IBCA's objectives.