The IBCA is an association of countries that host or have nomadic populations of at least one of the seven “big cats” – lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and cougars. File | Photo credit: The Hindu
The inaugural summit of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), to be held here from June 1-3, is expected to adopt the first-ever global declaration on big cat conservation, called the “Delhi Declaration”, which articulates shared priorities, strengthens cross-border cooperation and promotes a landscape approach to the conservation of big cats and their habitats.
Representatives from 95 countries are expected to attend, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change said on Wednesday (6 May 2026).
The IBCA is an association of countries that host or have nomadic populations of at least one of the seven “big cats” – lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and cougars – and are committed to protecting these animals.
Collective action
There are 24 member countries, three observer countries and several other “scope” countries in the alliance. Member countries are expected to coordinate action through programs and activities aimed at improving the status of habitats, prey and big cats, including big cat protection and conservation, innovation, research, development and capacity building. They also share important information about big cat conservation and conservation programs.
Summit participants are likely to include heads of state/government of member and observer countries, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yada said on Wednesday at an event to launch the summit’s website and unveil its logo. Under the theme “Save the Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save the Ecosystem”, the summit will bring together more than 400 conservationists, policy makers, scientists, multilateral agencies, financial institutions, business leaders and community representatives from around the world.
IBCA, piloted and created by India, was officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023. The alliance, Mr. Yadav said, reflects India’s belief that conservation issues need to be addressed “collectively” through cooperation, knowledge sharing and mutual support.
Published – 06 May 2026 20:54 IST
