Don’t Turn Nature’s Miracles To Trash: Tiger Conservationist

You have been associated with Project Tiger. How did you get involved and what was your contribution to the project?
I was first introduced to Project Tiger by Kailash Sankhala, the first Director of Project Tiger way back in 1972. The project was still a year away when I met Mr. Sankhala in Bharatpur. Between him and Fateh Singh Rathore, they guided me, encouraged me, motivated me. They have been my tiger gurus.

My very first tiger sighting was in Kanha with the late Manglu Baiga (the legendary animal tracker in the Kanha Forest Reserve). We were tracking tigers on elephant back before dawn and suddenly came upon this mother with her two cubs. This was in 1974, long before the tourism tsunami. I spent a full day with those cubs, eating biscuits, dry chapatis and aloo with achar and drinking warm readymade nimbu-paani. I fell instantly in love and have been trying to protect tigers from that day on.

Does a conservationist ever have to come face to face with a tiger?
You could live miles away from tigers and still help to save, or harm tigers. The decision-makers in whose hands the fate of the tiger lies have probably never seen a tiger.

How have your Sanctuary Asia and Cub magazines helped the cause?
I started the magazines in the early 1980s to share my love and concern for wildlife with a wider audience. We are still busy doing that. While the love and concern has grown exponentially, the policy makers still seem unmoved. The tiger is dying because my generation ‘the buddha (elderly) party’ refuses to understand that the ‘bachha (chilren) party’ will never forgive us if we continue to colonise their world. If young persons want to get involved with saving India’s wildilfe, they should log on and register at www.sanctuaryasia.com. 

How would you define a conservationist?
 Someone who works to leave this planet at least as beautiful and functional as it was when his or her great grandparents were alive.

What do you think can be done to save our tigers?
Give tigers what they want — space and protection from human harm. That’s it. Tigers are at their evolutionary prime and can look after themselves if we step out of the way and prevent others from trashing their future. Frankly, they need humans like they need a hole in their heads. Right now humans are eating into their forest homes and turning nature’s miracles to trash. They are killing tigers for their skins, bones, eyeballs, testicles, even their eyelashes. Humans have no right to refer to animals as beasts.

Can a conservationist make decent money?
You need not pick up a gun and become a forest guard to save tigers. You should follow your dream, be whoever it is you want to be, do whatever it is you want to do... but not something that makes this planet a less happy, less safe, less beautiful place. When I was very young I took to writing and bought a camera. These were the weapons with which I have tried to protect the planet. Each young person must pick up weapons of his or her own choice.