Bhubaneswar, May 14: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will organise a thematic programme in Bhubaneswar focused on leopard conservation and biodiversity as part of a nationwide series of events under India’s big cat conservation initiative.
The programme, being held in connection with the International Day for Biological Diversity, will highlight coexistence between humans and leopards in shared landscapes, along with Odisha’s ongoing conservation efforts.
The initiative forms part of broader national efforts to showcase conservation work related to India’s five major big cat species — tiger, Asiatic lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah — while reviewing progress, challenges and collaborative measures between the Centre and states.
As part of the nationwide series, similar events will be organised in Gir for Asiatic lion conservation, Chandrapur for tigers, Gangtok for snow leopards and Bhopal for cheetah conservation.
Officials said the programmes aim to strengthen awareness, improve stakeholder participation and highlight India’s conservation achievements under initiatives linked to the International Big Cat Alliance.
The Bhubaneswar event will particularly focus on reducing human-wildlife conflict, improving rescue and rehabilitation systems, strengthening frontline staff capacity, and using technology for monitoring conflict-prone areas.
The ministry added that Odisha’s biodiversity conservation efforts and community participation models will also be showcased during the programme.