Nepal Joins International Big Cat Alliance, Boosting Global Conservation Efforts

In August 2025, Nepal joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) an India-led international program committed to the protection of the seven big cat species including the tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar and puma. The membership makes Nepal contribute more in the international efforts to secure the lives of these magnificent predators and their homes.

About the IBCA

The IBCA was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2023 and includes more than 90 range and non-range countries. The alliance has its headquarters in India, and serves as a forum to inspire knowledge and expertise exchange, financial resources in an effort to conserve the big cats. Its intentions are to enhance the current conservation networks and the ecological security.

Why Nepal, and its Membership, Matters

Three of the large cat species: the Bengal tiger, the snow leopard and the common leopard, are also critical habitats in Nepal. Its involvement makes the alliance even more powerful by infusing its demonstrated conservation success-like 1) its near doubling of the wild tiger population-into the world stock of expertise. The forests and high-altitude terrain in Nepal are considered essential in maintaining population size of endangered species such as the snow leopard.

India and Leadership in Global Goals

India, a major leader in the big cat conservation due to initiatives such as Project Tiger and Project Lion takes center stage in the IBCA. The collaboration enables a united cross-border management of common threats including habitat loss, poaching and climate change. Cheering up cooperation and mobilising technical and finance resources, the IBCA intends to reverse the declining populations and securing the long-term survival of big cats in the wild.

The joining of Nepal indicates that there is more dedication to the conservation of biodiversity across the globe and the country has solidified the effort to preserve such majestic species to the days ahead.