In a heartening announcement, the fifth cycle of India's Tiger Census has revealed that the number of tigers in the wild has once again increased in the country, with a current count of 3,167 as of 2022. This marks a 6.7% increase from the previous census in 2018, where there were 2,967 tigers. This success is attributed to the 50-year-old Project Tiger, which has saved the species from the brink of extinction. 

Inaugurating the International Big Cat Alliance in Karnataka's Mysuru, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of conservation efforts and their link to India's cultural and traditional values. India has saved not only tigers but also lions, leopards, snow leopards, pumas, jaguars, cheetahs, elephants, and single-horned rhinos. 

Modi highlighted that India has the largest number of Asiatic elephants and single-horned rhinos in the world, and is the only country where the Asiatic lion is found. Due to various conservation efforts, the population of Asiatic lions has also grown from 525 in 2015 to 675 in 2020, whereas the population of leopards has increased 60% in just four years.

Modi's call for an International Big Cat Alliance is the need of the hour. This alliance will provide financial and technical assistance to protect and conserve wildlife. The focus of the alliance is to conserve seven major big cats of the world – tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, pumas, jaguars, and cheetahs. By sharing experiences and resources, partner nations can work together for research, training, and capacity building.

With India contributing to 8% of global wildlife diversity, the country's conservation efforts have a significant impact on the world. The success of Project Tiger and the increase in the tiger population is an inspiration for other nations to prioritize conservation efforts and protect the world's wildlife.