Dec 24, 2008 06:21 AM
2350 Views
I first heard of Dr Ullas Karanth's name when watching a film on Tiger Conservation at Jungle Lodges, Kabini. They explained how he had pioneered an unique way to conduct Tiger census at Nagarhole National Park by taking photo of their stripes using camera-trap triggered night photograpy kept at common tiger paths. Tiger stripes are different for each tiger similar to our finger prints. This gave an accurate census of tigers and helped in their conservation. Since then, I have seen his name in most articles or stories related to Tiger Conservation in India and that reflects on his life's dedication to the protection of this most fascinating of all big cats.
This is what made me pick up this book while just browsing at our local book store and I was not disappointed. His narration of a tiger encounter in the introduction chapture is sure to send chills down our spine. Though the main focus of the book is about the whys and hows of conservation and its current status, he has laid out his book in an excellent sequence. Starting with that chilling encounter, he goes on to introduce its history both evolutionary and mankind related stories. Then we have some very interesting chapters on tiger biology and behavior. I especially loved his explanation about communication during mating and how the young ones disperse when they become independent. The female cub is protected by the mother and allowed to make her home close by while the male cub is forced to move far away and find his own home! How very different from humans.
He then shifts his focus to the goal of this book, that is, tiger conservation. The book lists the problems faced by tigers in our current human dominated planet and the various conservation activities, some successfull and some not so successful, that are being taken to help the tigers. He ends the book by making a call to the people to "act sensibly to save tigers instead of throwing up their hands in despair bemoaning their fate".
I sincerely wish him good luck with that call and hope the powers that be recognize the importance of tigers to our country and humankind in general and do the needful. In the meantime, I am still waiting for that magical first encounter of a tiger in the wild!
The book is well sprinkled with sketches that gives perspective to the narration. Several great photos like "tigers in the mist" are also there.
