Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav today said that India will continue to work with global partners to secure a sustainable future for the world’s seven big cat species and their habitats. The Minister said this while addressing a high-level meeting on the Collaborative Initiative for Big Cat Conservation in New Delhi.

Mr Yadav emphasized that big cats like tigers, lions, snow leopards, cheetahs, pumas and jaguars are regulators of ecological balance, and sentinels of ecosystem health. The Minister said that India’s approach to conservation is rooted in innovative nature-based solutions, integrated with the country’s cultural ethos. He added that economic progress must be viewed not only in conventional terms but through the enhancement of ecological balance. The meeting was held under the International Big Cat Alliance and brought together Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Big-cat range countries.

During the meeting, the Minister invited all big-cat range countries to share strategies, experiences and best practices for conserving big cats and their habitats as India will host the Global Big Cats Summit in New Delhi next year. Stressing on the role of the alliance, Mr Yadav said that it is a platform to share strengths, to learn from each other, and contribute to a global partnership that protects species, safeguards ecosystems, and builds climate resilience for generations to come.