Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Big Cats Alliance following a tour of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka to mark the completion of 50 years of “Project Tiger”. He also visited Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in neighboring Tamil Nadu.
Donning wildlife attire – a black hat, khaki pants, a camouflage t-shirt, and black shoes, along with a khaki jacket, PM Modi took a tour of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in its official mini-truck.
He released the latest tiger census data and the government’s vision for tiger conservation during the event in Mysuru. The event marked the release of the summary report of the 5th cycle of Management Effective Evaluation of Tiger Reserves, which declared tiger numbers and released a summary report of the All India Tiger Estimation (5th cycle).
The prime minister then proceeded to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in neighboring Tamil Nadu bordering Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
In Mudumalai, PM Modi fed sugarcane to elephants at the Theppakadu Elephant camp, where Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ was filmed. He also interacted with frontline field staff like mahouts and ‘kavadis’ and self-help groups involved in conservation activities.
VIDEO: PM Modi feeds sugarcane to elephants at Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu where Oscar winning documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers' was filmed, reports @urvashikhona pic.twitter.com/aDt3Rki2We
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) April 9, 2023
It is not yet clear if PM Modi met Raghu, the orphaned elephant featured in the documentary, and also Bomman and Bellie, who raised the little jumbo.
The International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA), launched by PM Modi, will focus on the protection and conservation of the seven major big cats of the world, including the Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar, and Cheetah, with the membership of a range of countries that harbor these species.
India is home to around 3,000 tigers, which account for more than 70 per cent of the global wild tiger population, and the number is increasing at a rate of six per cent per year.
On April 1, 1973, the Indira Gandhi government launched ‘Project Tiger’ to promote tiger conservation. Initially, it covered nine tiger reserves spread over 18,278 sq km. At present, there are 53 tiger reserves spanning more than 75,000 sq km, which is approximately 2.4 per cent of the country’s geographical area.