The Prime Minister at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Photo: @narendramodi/Twitter)
PM Modi arrived in Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka on Sunday morning to launch the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA). After arrival, the Prime Minister – who was dressed up in camouflage attire, took a jungle safari at the reserve.
He also interacted with frontline forest staff and Self Help Groups (SHGs) involved in conservation efforts. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) tweeted: “PM Narendra Modi is on the way to the Bandipur and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves”.
He is following up on his call in July 2019, to form an Alliance of Global Leaders to eliminate illegal wildlife trade and also curb poaching of animals.
According to the PMO, the IBCA will focus on the protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world – tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah. India had in September last year re-introduced the cheetah from Namibia and South Africa in the Kuno wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Recently, one of the cheetah’s gave birth to four cubs, indicating a successful acclimatization of the habitat by the African cheetas.
Modi will also inaugurate the programme ‘Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger’ and will release numerous publications – Amrit Kaal Ka Vision for Tiger Conservation and a summary report of the 5th cycle of Management Effective Evaluation of Tiger Reserves.
A commemorative coin on the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger will also be released.
India is home to 52 Tiger Reserves covering approximately 75,000 square kilometer area in 18 states with approximately 75% of the population of the wild tiger at the global level. India achieved the goal of doubling the tiger numbers in 2018, four years in advance of the targeted year 2022. Also, so far 17 Tiger Reserves in the country have got CA|TS international accreditation and two Tiger Reserves have got the International Tx2 award.
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