CI: When and why was TigerGuards founded?
Raj: It began in the summer of 2006. We realised that the number of tigers in Bandhavgarh was decreasing rapidly. This led to the foundation of TigerGuards of India.
CI: Why just tigers? Why not other animals?
Raj: Tigers can survive only in a perfectly balanced ecosystem. Therefore, to conserve the tiger, one has to make sure that the other species are doing well too. So we work towards conservation of all animals with the focus on the tiger.
CI: What are the major reasons for the rapid decrease in the number of tigers?
Raj: Earlier, the major cause was poaching. Now, however, with the government and the media taking interest in the matter, poaching is no longer the major cause in Bandhavgarh. Today the major cause is revenge killing of tigers by the villagers. The ever-shrinking habitat of the wild cat is another reason.
CI: What is revenge killing and how can it be prevented?
Raj: Sometimes the tigers enter the villages in the vicinity of the reserve and prey on the villagers’ livestock, which is very important to the villagers, it being their source of income. The angry villagers then seek revenge by killing the tigers. This is called ‘revenge killing’.
CI: Please tell us about the steps taken to date by TigerGuards towards conservation.
Raj: We worked in a phased manner. In the first phase, we provided the workers with the necessary equipment, which included mosquito nets, ration boxes, umbrellas, raincoats and torches etc. We also donated 14 motorcycles and a Maruti Gypsy. In the second phase, we sought to educate the village children by taking them for safaris (for which the government does not charge an entry fee). As we saw it, awareness among the villagers would certainly help curb the rate of revenge killings. In the third phase, we are trying to provide compensation to villagers whose cattle were killed by tigers.
CI: What can the ordinary citizen do to conserve the tiger?
Raj: One can do a lot. One can donate money (the record for which can be seen from time to time) or one can help us in educating the villagers. One can also help by just spreading the word for tiger conservation. By the way, we would also like to mention here that earlier foreigners were a major source of income for this cause. However, now, with the country’s economy booming, they ask us why Indians can’t make handsome donations. So, we actually need generous donations from Indians, especially the MNCs.
Karan Dugal
On a Dream and a Prayer…
When you are in tiger territory, you suddenly realize that the tiger is one of the most elusive of the big cats, for as you scan the vista with eyes wide open, you see the deer, the peacocks, the hare, the gaur (Indian bison), but not the tiger. And yet, you know that the predator is lurking around somewhere, may be just a few feet away from you, may be behind that tree, or lying low under that tall grass. Wide awake, but yet, dreaming! Dreaming that the magnificent beast will appear out of thin air, into the viewfinder of our Canons. Armed with the photo gear that Canon India had loaned us, each one of us was silently praying for ‘that great appearance’.
(As we had mentioned in our recent issues of Car India and Smart Photography, we had chosen very modest photo gear – gear that would be within the financial means of most photographers and tourists. If you are very serious about your wildlife photography, we suggest you opt for one or more of the following: EOS 1Ds Mark III, 1D Mark III, 1D Mark IV, or 5D mark II. Combine this with one or more of the following lenses: EF500mm f/4L IS USM, EF400mm f/4 DO IS USM, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM, EF100-400mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM. Or if you are more of a tourist and less of a photographer, there’s the Canon PowerShot SX 1 IS, SX 20 IS, and similar prosumer models to suit every pocket).
