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Prime Minister Modi highlighted the success of "Project Tiger". (File) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that India does not believe in the conflict between ecology and economy but values the coexistence between the two. Wildlife protection is a universal issue, Prime Minister Modi said, launching the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which strives to protect and conserve big cats.
The Prime Minister spoke after the inauguration of the '50 Years of Project Tiger Commemoration' program held at the Karnataka State Open University.
Citing data showing India's tiger population at 3,167 in 2022, Prime Minister Modi said: "The number of tigers we have reached shows that our family is growing. This is a proud moment." Asking for a standing ovation to celebrate the increase in the tiger population, he added: "I am confident and I assure the world that in the days to come we will do more." According to the data, the tiger population was 1,411 in 2006, 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014, 2,967 in 2018, and 3,167 in 2022.
Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Minister of State Ashwini Kumar Choubey, among others, were present at the event.
The Prime Minister said that the success of "Project Tiger" is a source of pride not only for India but for the whole world.
Stating that India has not only saved the tigers but also created an ecosystem for them to flourish, he said, “India is a country where nature conservation is part of the culture. "For wildlife to thrive, it's important that ecosystems thrive. This happened in India," he said, adding that wildlife protection is not a one-country thing, but actually a global issue.
Noting that cheetahs had disappeared from India decades ago, the prime minister referred to the recent initiative in which the big cats were brought to India from Namibia and South Africa, saying this was the first successful transcontinental translocation of the big cat. .
He also noted that these cheetahs had four cubs born in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
In July 2019, the Prime Minister called for an Alliance of Global Leaders to crush the lawsuit and stand firm against poaching and illegal wildlife trade in Asia. Carrying that message, the International Big Cat Alliance launched today, officials said.
The IBCA will focus on the protection and conservation of the seven most important big cats in the world: the tiger, the lion, the leopard, the snow leopard, the puma, the jaguar and the cheetah, being its members the countries of the area of distribution that host these species.
Sahyadri or Western Ghats has several tribal communities, who have worked to make wildlife and tigers thrive, Prime Minister Modi noted, praising their contribution to conservation efforts.
The Oscar-winning documentary "The Elephant Whisperers" also depicts the traditional connection between nature and creatures, he said.
"It is encouraging to note that by the time we have completed 75 years of independence, 75% of the world's tiger population is in India. It is also a coincidence that the tiger reserve in India spans 75,000 km2. And in the last few 10 years -12 years, the tiger population has also increased by 75%," the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Modi today went on a safari in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka amid the picturesque surroundings of the mighty Western Ghats as part of the programs marking 50 years of "Project Tiger".
Dressed in dappled safari clothing and hat, he is said to have traveled some 20 kilometers in an open-top jeep inside the tiger reserve, located partly in the Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district, and partly in the HD Kote and Nanjangud taluks of the Mysuru district. .
“Spent the morning at the picturesque Bandipur Tiger Reserve and got to see the wildlife, natural beauty and diversity of India,” he tweeted along with some photos from the safari.
During his speech at the event, the Prime Minister said: "India, with just 2.4% of the world's land area, contributes about 8% of the known global diversity. It is the country with the largest range of tigers. in the world. With nearly 30,000 elephants, we are the world's largest Asian elephant range country. Our rhino population of nearly 3,000 individuals makes us the world's largest one-horned rhinoceros country. India is the only country that has Asiatic lions, and their population has increased from about 525 in 2015 to 675 in 2020, he said, adding that the leopard population had increased by 60% in four years."In addition, endangered aquatic species extinction have shown improvements through measures such as cleaning rivers and bodies of water.
Highlighting the increase in tree and forest cover, Modi said India had added more than 2,200 square kilometers of tree and forest cover by 2021 compared to 2019 figures.
In a decade, the number of national parks and sanctuaries around which ecologically sensitive areas have been reported has risen from 9 to 468, it added.
