Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Bandipore Tiger Reserve in Karnataka to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the government's flagship tiger conservation program, 'Project Tiger'.
Modi became the first Indian prime minister to undertake a trip to the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, ranked among the best tiger forest reserves in the country.
During his stay in Karnataka, Modi is scheduled to release a vision document about the federal government's future planning for tiger conservation.
Among other things, the Indian leader will announce the launch of the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) and unveil the latest tiger numbers in the country. Modi will also release a special coin to mark the 50th year of Project Tiger.
In 2019, Modi urged international leaders to form a group to put an end to poaching and "illegal wildlife trade" in the world.
In this context, IBCA is being formed to ensure the conservation and protection of the world's seven big cats: Tiger, Lion, Jaguar, Cheetah, Puma, Snow Leopard, and Leopard.
According to media reports, India has witnessed a six percent rise in tiger population since the previous tiger census which put the number of tigers in the country at 2,967.