For tigers to regain some dominion over the jungles, it is essential their habitat remain as wild as possible | The Indian Express

For tigers to regain some dominion over the jungles, it is essential their habitat remain as wild as possible | The Indian Express

Written by Stephen Alter |Updated: August 30, 2019 10:46:42 am

Alter is the author of 16 books of fiction and non-fiction. He lives and writes in Mussoorie.

For tigers to regain some dominion over the jungles, it is essential their habitat remain as wild as possible

Human beings need to be excluded from the limited percentage of forested land that has been designated for wildlife preservation. Most conservationists have long recognised that forest-dependent communities must be part of the solution.

This “tiger sighting” was one of the highlights of our visit to the parks and allowed me to get a good photograph, the conditions under which we observed the tigress made me wonder about the underlying purpose of tiger reserves. (File)

What do we mean by the word “wild”? How do we define and preserve wild places? How many tigers and other creatures actually still “live in the wild”? Though there is no clear, precise answer to any of these questions, our future depends upon ensuring that a significant portion of our planet remains wild.