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India to host 1st Big Cat Summit of heads of 95 countries in 2026: Sitharaman
In her budget speech, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said trails will be established along Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for birdwatching and conservation
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced that India will host the first Big Cat Summit of heads of the 95 range countries this year to discuss big cat conservation and the launch of turtle trails for safe nesting in Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala. In her budget speech, she said trails will be established along the Pulicat Lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for birdwatching and conservation.
India signed an agreement last year to host the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) headquarters and secretariat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the IBCA in April 2023 at an event commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger to protect the endangered species. In February 2024, the Union Cabinet approved the IBCA with headquarters in India.
The IBCA was launched for tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma conservation. It provides for membership to all United Nations member states and the range countries, harbouring these species, and non-range countries, where they are not found but are interested in supporting big cat conservation.
