I who have followed the Tiger in most of the National Parks in India - Corbett,Kanha,Ranthambore,Dudwa,Simlipal,Betla,Gorumara,Mudumalai,Periyar and having travelled almost the whole of India in search of this beautiful predator for a snatched glimpse.I know in the coming decade they will be wiped out unless we can lessen the population pressure on our forests and most importantly educate the new generation that nature exists in 'Balance' and destroying animals as well as plants and trees is a sure way to kill oneself.
What my friend Jonathan Scott is trying in teaching the Masai about lions is what we need here in India.Short term gain will kill all the tigers,leopards,Bison as we have killed the Indian Cheetah,the dhole or Indian wild dog and the Asian Lion which are wiped out in 99% of their range.
A personal story,I live in the house i was born in four decades ago in the middle of urban,crowded Kolkata.Yet,an animal survives which till a decade back i dint believe existed in the city-the Indian Palm Civet.It lived in orchards and abandoned factories and only when a building boom happened in early 2000s did it start coming into our neighbourhood and stealing fruits and vegetables.I got my first glimpse of this greyish black dog faced cat that can climb with amazing agility and has a strong tail for balance.
Its when we realise what a rich flora and fauna we are blessed with is when we will start caring.Talking to the average joe on the street who just wants his 'cool'quotient and doesnt care if he/she gasses the neighbours in the process!!
