Union Environment Minister inaugurates Lion Species Spotlight Programme at Gir National Park

Key facts

• Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the Lion Species Spotlight Programme at Gir National Park in Gujarat as a pre-summit event for the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit 2026.
• India is scheduled to host the first-ever IBCA Summit in New Delhi on June 1 and 2, 2026, under the theme Save Big Cats, Save Humanity, Save Ecosystem.
• The IBCA serves as a global coalition for the conservation of seven iconic big cat species: lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma.
• The Asiatic lion population in the Greater Gir Landscape has reached an estimated 891 individuals in 2025, representing a 32 per cent increase compared to 2020.
• Asiatic lions receive the highest legal protection under Appendix-I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.