India has only 2.4 percent of the world’s land area, but it is home to 8 percent of known global biodiversity. During the last 9 years, India has made significant progress in wildlife and environmental conservation. With a culture that values the preservation of nature, India has seen notable improvements in biodiversity, including the recent birth of cheetahs after a 75-year interval.
India is home to 75% of the world’s tiger population. Recently, a report on the Status of Tigers in India was released, indicating a growth in the tiger population to 3167 from 2226, thus a 42% increase in the number of tigers, since 2014.
India currently boasts of the highest number of leopards and tigers. The leopard population has increased by more than 60% from 2014 to 2018. India is the only country in the world to have Asiatic lions, whose numbers have also increased in the past few years.
To further bolster the conservation efforts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) for the protection of seven big cats, namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar and Puma harbouring our planet.