Mysore/Mysuru: A five-day International Big Cat Alliance Summit opened at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve last evening, bringing together delegates from 23 major big cat range countries.
As part of the initiative, the Forest Department, in collaboration with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and the Union Ministry of External Affairs, is conducting the second Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) course aimed at capacity-building for wildlife and conservation practitioners.
Notably, this is the first time an ITEC course is being held in South India, combining classroom learning with on-ground exposure.
The summit began with an address by IBCA Director General Dr. S.P. Yadav, who highlighted the programme’s objectives and its global significance for big cat conservation.
He noted that India has developed robust, science-based conservation strategies for tigers and other big cats, setting an example for the world.
Delegates from over 23 countries, including Russia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Kenya, Malaysia, Peru, Namibia and Kazakhstan, are participating, with a total of 39 international representatives.
The first day of the course focused on best practices in big cat conservation, covering themes such as active management, protection strategies, smart patrolling systems and technology-enabled wildlife conservation.
Intended to save big cat species
Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Subhash Malkhede said the primary objective of the IBCA is to safeguard the world’s big cat species.
“India is home to 70 percent of the world’s tigers. The country also has an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 leopards and the lion population is steadily increasing. India stands as a model in big cat conservation,” he said.
He further noted that while cheetahs became extinct in India in 1952, reintroduction efforts after nearly 70 years, with animals brought from Namibia and South Africa, have increased the population to 35.
Discussions at the Summit are focusing on strategies to ensure the long-term survival and protection of these species.
Technical sessions, field visits
A session on ‘Planning for Big Cat Conservation in India’ was presented by Dr. Vaibhav C. Mathur, Deputy Inspector General of Forests at the NTCA, New Delhi. This was followed by a talk on Protection and Law Enforcement Strategies for Big Cat Conservation by Dr. P. Ramesh Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forests, Project Tiger, Karnataka.
Another session on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Leveraging Technology for Forest and Wildlife Management was given by Manoj Rajan, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF), Project Elephant.
At the end of the day, participants visited the Tiger Cell at Bandipur Tiger Reserve and the Command and Control Centre, where the latest wildlife-conservation tools and equipment were demonstrated. They also interacted with members of the Elephant Task Force and Leopard Task Force.
Senior officials present included APCCF Biswajeet Mishra, Chamarajanagar CCF Malathi Priya, Bandipur Tiger Project Director S. Prabhakaran and ACF Naveen Kumar.
This post was published on February 10, 2026 6:40 pm