Visit Kanha National Park and see Bengal tigers in the wild
A tribute to India's tiger conservationists
In 1969, at an International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) meeting held in Delhi, Kailash Sankhala alerted this prestigious body of scientists and conservationists to the dire plight of India's tigers. His warnings prompted an extensive scientific study, resulting in the Bengal tiger being declared an endangered species. In 1973 Mr. Sankhala launched Project Tiger--an initiative to educate the public and protect habitats critical to the tiger's survival in India.
Project Tiger was backed by Mrs. Indira Gandhi and this translated into widespread public acceptance and support. Project Tiger became one of the world's most successful conservation projects. Tiger populations in India increased from a low of 1,800 in 1972 to 4,500.
In the 1990s Project Tiger lost its political patronage. Trading gateways opened and the demand for tiger bone for traditional Chinese medicines skyrocketed. Tiger populations again began to plummet.
Despite pressures on the tigers and their habitat, Kanha National Park has been able to protect most of its tigers. Pradeep Sankhala, in the tradition of his late father, has continued Tiger Trust India, a non-profit society focused on developing ecotourism in Kanha and other Indian tiger reserves as a means of increasing peoples' love of tigers and re-igniting a national commitment to save them. Tiger Trust India is now working in partnership with WCWC to strengthen its efforts to protect India's endangered tigers.
For information on how to join an ecotour of Kanha National Park in India and see tigers in the wild contact: Indian Nature Expeditions, Suite 206, Rakesh Deep, 11 Commercial Complex Gulmohar Enclave, New Delhi, India 110049. Tel (011-91-11)-685-3760 Fax 686-5212.
