China may not join alliance on conservation of big cats

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is holding its first-ever summit in New Delhi from June 1–2, 2026, under the theme "Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save E...

What Happened

The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is holding its first-ever summit in New Delhi from June 1–2, 2026, under the theme "Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem."
India has invited representatives from 95 big cat range countries across Asia, Africa, and the Americas; only 14 countries have confirmed participation so far.
China, which hosts significant wild tiger and snow leopard populations, is not expected to join IBCA, raising concerns about the completeness of global conservation cooperation.
The summit is expected to adopt the first-ever global declaration on big cat conservation, articulating shared priorities for transboundary protection.
A curated exhibition will accompany the summit, showcasing tribal art, conservation photography, virtual reality experiences, and India's best practices in big cat conservation.

Static Topic Bridges

International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) — Structure and Mandate

The IBCA is the world's first intergovernmental, multi-agency global alliance dedicated exclusively to the conservation of seven big cat species: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma. It was launched on April 9, 2023, by the Prime Minister of India on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, and officially came into force on January 23, 2025. The IBCA Secretariat is headquartered in India.

Brings together up to 96 big cat range countries, scientific organisations, conservation partners, and business groups on a common platform.
Mandate covers cooperation in habitat protection, anti-poaching measures, research, and knowledge sharing across member states.
India hosts five of the seven IBCA species (all except Jaguar and Puma), giving it a unique convening role.
Formally established by a Cabinet decision; India provided initial funding of ₹150 crore for the first five years.

Connection to this news: China's non-participation is significant because it hosts the world's second-largest wild tiger population and substantial snow leopard habitat — two of the IBCA's priority species. Transboundary conservation corridors linking India and China are directly affected by this diplomatic gap.

CITES and IUCN Status of the Seven Big Cats

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates international trade in listed species. Appendix I covers species threatened with extinction where trade is generally prohibited; Appendix II covers species where trade must be controlled.

Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, and Jaguar — all listed under CITES Appendix I.
Puma — listed under CITES Appendix II.
IUCN Red List status: Tiger (Endangered), Lion (Vulnerable), Leopard (Vulnerable), Snow Leopard (Vulnerable), Cheetah (Vulnerable), Jaguar (Near Threatened), Puma (Least Concern).
India hosts five IBCA species, all listed under CITES Appendix I.

Connection to this news: Despite international treaty protections, range states must cooperate bilaterally and multilaterally to address transboundary poaching, habitat fragmentation, and prey depletion — precisely the gaps IBCA aims to fill. China's absence from IBCA weakens enforcement coordination along shared corridors.

India's Big Cat Conservation Record

India has a multi-decade institutional record of big cat conservation, predating the formation of IBCA.

Project Tiger (1973): Launched with 9 tiger reserves; by 2022 India had 54 tiger reserves, with 3,682 wild tigers — approximately 75% of the global wild tiger population (up from 1,411 in 2006).
Project Snow Leopard: Launched in 2009 to conserve snow leopards and their high-altitude Himalayan habitat through community participation and landscape-level management.
Project Cheetah (2022): India reintroduced African cheetahs — extinct in the country since the 1950s — at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. Eight cheetahs arrived from Namibia in September 2022 and twelve from South Africa in February 2023. As of December 2025, India has 30 cheetahs including 19 India-born individuals.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, oversees tiger reserve management.

Connection to this news: India's credibility as IBCA host rests on this conservation record. The Project Tiger success story is the template IBCA seeks to replicate globally, making India's convening role a natural extension of demonstrated domestic outcomes.

Why China's Absence Matters for Conservation Cooperation

Conservation of migratory and transboundary big cat populations cannot be achieved unilaterally. China shares critical habitat with India along the Himalayan range (snow leopard) and has its own tiger reserves (Siberian/Amur tiger in the northeast, and South China tiger recovery programs).

Snow leopard range spans 12 countries including India and China; transboundary management requires joint protocols on prey species, herder-wildlife conflict, and habitat corridors.
Tiger range corridors in the Terai arc landscape extend from India into Nepal, Bhutan, and historically into Myanmar and southern China.
China's wildlife trade markets have historically been implicated in demand for tiger bones, leopard skins, and other big cat derivatives, making Chinese policy alignment critical to demand-side reduction.
Without Chinese membership, IBCA's data-sharing and enforcement coordination mechanisms have a structural blind spot.

Connection to this news: The story highlights the diplomatic limits of conservation multilateralism — conservation science requires data and cooperation from all range states, and even the world's largest conservation alliance cannot function at full capacity without the second-largest range country for several target species.

Key Facts & Data

IBCA covers 7 species: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, Puma.
IBCA launched April 9, 2023; came into force January 23, 2025; headquartered in India.
First IBCA Summit: June 1–2, 2026, New Delhi; theme — "Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem."
95 big cat range countries invited; 14 confirmed as of May 2026.
India's wild tiger population: 3,682 (2022 census), ~75% of global wild tigers.
Project Tiger launched in 1973 with 9 reserves; now 54 reserves across India.
India hosts 5 of 7 IBCA species (Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah).
Cheetah, Jaguar, Snow Leopard, Tiger, Lion, Leopard — CITES Appendix I; Puma — Appendix II.
India's initial IBCA funding: ₹150 crore over five years.