Dr K Ullas Karanth, renowned wildlife conservationist, has been conferred India’s 4th highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.

Congratulations Padma Shri Dr Ullas Karanth.

People voted the Tiger as their favorite animal in a survey by Animal Planet.

Playful Young Tiger in the Kanha Tiger Reserve.

So, the tiger count in India is out, pegged ~1700 after the tiger census 2010. What does it mean to us? Is it a sign of improvement? The last India tiger census (2006) had put the figure ~1400.

Looks like the count is more because of the improved processes and increase in the sampling area. And, these figures are mostly for the protected areas. Counting or sampling is very difficult in the open areas.

Today, March 20 is observed as the World House Sparrow Day. Saving Nature is not unrelated to Save Tigers campaign. The vanishing house sparrow is a danger signal. We have become experts in destroying nature every which way we can! So, at least on this ceremonial day, spare a thought for the (not so ubiquitous any more) sparrow.

Here’s a 140 character rhyme, that you can use to Tweet for the Sparrow!

#Sparrow Sparrow, where ave u been?
2 #jungle coz ur city gone clean
No bowl o water, no grain to spare
All concrete n not a patch of #green

As we all know, tiger is at the top of the food pyramid, and tiger conservation cannot be done without conserving that food pyramid, which itself entails conserving the biodiversity of an ecosystem. Loss of green cover depletes the herbivores and depletion of the herbivores leaves the tiger hungry, real hungry! What a condition for the poor jungle king to be in? But, there is hope and some action. Acclaimed wildlife conservationists from all over the world recently got together and made a historical effort in the jungles of Madhya Pradesh – central India.

We bring our readers a special report on the Historic Reintroduction of the Indian Bison (Translocation from Kanha to the Bandhavgarh National Park). Read the full report published here with the kind permission of the author, Rakesh Shukla. An abridged version of this report first appeared in the print edition of Central Chronicle of Bhopal.

Redeeming Our Pledge for Wildlife Conservation, was originally published in the print edition of Central Chronicle of Bhopal on September 30, 2010. Read the full article reproduced here at SaveTigers.com, with the author Dr. Rakesh Shukla’s permission.

Dr. Rakesh Shukla is a wildlife research officer in the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and is currently based in Kanha Tiger Reserve. He is a winner of the ABN-AMRO Sanctuary award.

Are we gonna give this royal splendour a chance to survive? A Tiger at Kanha National Park, photographed by Sudhir Mishra, FRO.

Okay folks! We all know, we need to save tigers – that’s why you are at this website. We hope all of you have now become aware of the various things you can do to save tigers. Many of you may also be having some more ideas. Most of you comment that the numbers are down and we got to save tigers – but, we all already know that. Right!

So, let’s stop wasting time and get productive. Don your thinking caps and let the creative juices flow. Got an idea, or a strategy? Shoot it across. Got some data and analysis – share it.

We are rewarding the best entries with:
1 book on tiger conservation;
10 t-shirts;
100 caps.

That’s 111 prizes to be won! Send in as many entries as you can think and create. Use the contact-us page to send your entries and remember to join our mailing list to get updates on this and other contests.

The entries will be judged by a panel of eminent persons and authorities related to wildlife and tiger conservation.

Please note that the ideas should be legal, non-destructive, reasonable, practical and agreeable to all stakeholders right from the forest denizens (including our dear Tiger) to the world community.

This contest open until September 30, 2010. Winners will be announced during wildlife week starting October 2, 2010.

Tiger, Tiger!
By Prof. Ashok Tiwari

Tiger, tiger, burning bright!
Dreadful is your present plight!

God’s mighty act of your creation
Filled Blake’s mind with fascination!
You are our national animal,
No other creature is you equal.
In deep forests you’re no longer found.
Your roars there no longer resound.
You are Goddess Durga’s mount,
All this does no longer count.

Tiger, tiger, burning bright!
Dreadful is your present plight!

Now your body is your enemy!
It is seen in terms of money.
Alive, some admirers you may please,
Dead, you’re worth lakhs of rupees!
The money is such a temptation,
In hunting you where’s hesitation?
Hunting you is no great art,
A steel trap, a bullet through the heart!
Your skin ladies wear for vanity—
An act devoid of all sanity!
It adorns a tycoon’s drawing room wall
Or the floor of some palace hall.

In China your genitals, ground to powder,
Restore old men’s sexual drive and power.
Your bones are used in medicines.
Your flesh and fat cure rheumatism.
Your skull is transformed into a trophy,
Your teeth hang in charms and jewellery.

Tiger, tiger, bright as flame!
Your extinction would be our shame!
In jungles may you thrive again!
May this wish not be in vain!
Lord of beasts, long be your reign.
Your blood jungle trails never stain.
May greedy plans of poachers fail.
May they spend their lives in jail.
May posterity still get to see
Your beauty, power and majesty.

Tiger, tiger, bright as flame!
Your extinction would be our shame!

Saving Sher Khan by Pracheer Saran.

We all have heard of famous character Sher Khan the tiger from the Rudyard Kipling‘s classic novel Jungle Book. As a kid, we all were enthralled, mystified and excited and longed to see the animated film ‘Jungle Book’ by Disney Animation studio. Sher Khan the tiger is one such character in the film besides Mowgli the jungle boy, Baloo the beer, Bagheera the panther, etc who will never be forgotten. However, in reality we have forgotten to save and protect him.

Click here to continue reading Saving Sher Khan by Pracheer Saran.

Just to let our visitors know – we are soon going to run a save tigers contest. 111 prizes would be up for grabs. While we iron out the modalities, please start thinking of what to do to save tigers or if you have already done something start documenting it – ideas, articles, photographs, drawings, games, software – anything goes!

Let the trees flourish and tigers will save themselves.

We read somewhere in the news that an educational institution spent INR 100,000 (around US$ 2,275) to adopt a tiger in a zoo for an year. First of all, a zoo is a very wrong place for a tiger to be in. Secondly, a zoo has funds allocated already to take care of the national animal.

We would rather this amount was spent on adopting trees in the villages. Each student of that school could have adopted a tree. You could adopt a tree and then look after it like your own child. Form a group and go to villages and forest fringe areas to educate people about saving nature to save tigers. Motivate the village folks, especially children for adopting trees in partnership with your group. Your group could provide moral support and other incentives to that person or child on the spot, who will actually save the tree.

You know, if you or your group have sufficient resources, you could even buy a piece of land and setup a plantation in partnership with the local folks. Why we are stressing partnership with local folks is that they are the ones who will ensure protection to the trees. Saving the trees will in turn save tigers.

Dear friends,

We have launched a sister website, a social networking platform for all nature lovers at SavingNature.org.

At SavingNature.org, you can register free and create your own blog, form a group of like minded members, start a forum and communicate personal or group activities on the common board. You can also network privately amongst your group.

I am the Tiger
4est है मेरा घर
सब डरते थे मुझसे पहले, अब वो मुझे डराते हैं, अंधविश्वास के चक्कर मुझे मारने आते हैं.
एक समय ऐसा भी था मेरा, जंगल में था राज मेरा.
हरा था जंगल, भरा था जंगल. तब था सुन्दर मेरा जंगल.
अब लोग घास काटने आते हैं, पेड काट ले जाते हैं. पहले ही कुछ कम था जो मेरा भोजन भी खाजाते हैं.

On a tour to the wildlife sanctuary at Kolleru lake in Andhra Pradesh, the union minister for environment and forests of India stated (source: The Hindu newspaper of 28 February, 2010) – “I don’t see the problem from the environment angle alone. Humans are more important than birds.”

The issue at stake is the reduction of the size of the wildlife sanctuary from present plus 5 contours to plus 3 contours.

Two local members of parliament and even the state government are reported to be pitching for this reduction in wildlife habitat. Pitiful situation indeed!

A final decision would be taken by the central government after a 5-member expert committee submits a report in about 3 months.

Thankfully, the minister recalled that the former chief minister of the state had sought a solution acceptable to all stakeholders.

The Kolleru wildlife sanctuary is a critically important avian habitat and stopover on India’s east coast between Chilika lake up north and Pulicat lake down south.

Ohh our lovely Tiger ,
We want to save you ,
We are so eager,
But some humans are really so bad,
By seeing ur beauty ,
They really go mad,
Ohh Mother World,
Please help us save your child,
And prevent humans,
From again becoming wild…

Divya Rawat