Nepal has formally joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) by signing the framework agreement. The IBCA aims to foster international cooperation for the protection of big cat species like tigers, leopards, and snow leopards. The inclusion of Nepal, which houses snow leopards, tigers, and common leopards, is seen as a significant step to strengthen global conservation efforts.
The IBCA extended congratulations to the Nepalese government for this crucial step. The tiger population in Nepal has seen a remarkable increase, almost tripling from 121 in 2009 to 355 by 2022. The IBCA was initiated by India in 2023 to support the global conservation of seven big cat species.