India is now the only country home to all five big cats after decades of conservation
From the Himalayas to tropical forests and sunburnt grasslands, India’s varied landscapes now shelter a rare assembly of wildlife: all five of the world’s big cats. Tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards and reintroduced cheetahs coexist within the country’s borders—an outcome of decades of concerted conservation by the government, scientists and local communities that has placed India at the centre of global conservation conversations.
The numbers tell a story of steady revival. India’s tiger population has climbed from a low of 1,411 in 2006 to over 3,600 today, representing more than 70% of the world’s wild tigers. Initiatives such as Project Tiger, the creation of more than 50 reserves and the use of advanced monitoring have underpinned that growth.
The Asiatic lion, once reduced to just a few dozen, has rebounded to over 890 and now ranges beyond the Gir landscape. India’s first scientific assessment of snow leopards recorded 718 individuals, offering a clearer picture of a species long hidden in high-altitude ranges.
Leopards—often overlooked—have quietly increased to nearly 14,000, thriving even in human-dominated areas. The cheetah’s return underscores the scale of India’s ambitions. Extinct in the country for more than 70 years, the species was reintroduced in 2022. Today, there are 50-plus individuals, including cubs—one of the world’s most ambitious rewilding experiments.
A shift in philosophy has supported these gains. Conservation efforts increasingly emphasize coexistence rather than isolation. Livestock insurance schemes in snow leopard habitats, community-led monitoring and ecotourism have drawn local residents into protecting wildlife.
Lions share space with pastoral communities in Gujarat, while leopards navigate farms, village outskirts and even areas near cities. The challenges remain significant. Habitat fragmentation, human–wildlife conflict and climate pressures are testing recent progress, pushing conservation beyond species protection to the management of entire landscapes.
Against this backdrop, India will host the Global Big Cat Summit 2026. The gathering aims to bring together countries, conservationists and policymakers to collaborate on safeguarding not only India’s big cats but also species such as pumas and jaguars—completing what experts call the “Big Seven.” India’s approach, combining governance, grassroots action and science, will be in focus.
The summit is expected to shape future conservation strategies.