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NDTV
5 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Wildlife Conservationist Valmik Thapar Dies At 73
New Delhi: Valmik Thapar, one of India's most eminent wildlife conservationists and authors, died at his residence Saturday morning. He was 73. Born in New Delhi in 1952, Thapar dedicated his life to the study and conservation of wild tigers, especially in Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park. He co-founded the Ranthambhore Foundation in 1988, a non-governmental organisation focused on community-based conservation efforts. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed his death a great loss. "Today's Ranthambore, particularly, is a testimony to his deep commitment and indefatigable zeal. He was uncommonly knowledgeable on a variety of issues relating to biodiversity, and not a day passed during my Ministerial tenure without our talking to each other, with me almost always at the receiving end," Ramesh posted on X. He said that during his tenure as chairman of the Standing Committee, Thapar was a constant source of valuable suggestions and advice. Thapar's father, Romesh Thapar, was a well-known journalist. His aunt is historian Romila Thapar, and his cousin, journalist Karan Thapar. He studied at The Doon School and later graduated with a gold medal in sociology from St Stephen's College, Delhi University. Thapar married theatre artist Sanjana Kapoor, daughter of actor Shashi Kapoor, and they have a son. Thapar was mentored by Fateh Singh Rathore, a legendary figure in Indian conservation and a key member of the original Project Tiger team. Over his five-decade-long career, Thapar strongly lobbied for tougher anti-poaching rules and efforts to protect tiger habitats. He was part of more than 150 government panels and task forces, including the National Board for Wildlife, which is led by the prime minister. In 2005, Thapar was appointed a member of the Tiger Task Force, set up by the UPA government to review the management of tiger reserves following the disappearance of tigers from Sariska Tiger Reserve. When the task force, chaired by environmentalist Sunita Narain, concluded its report, Thapar submitted a dissent note. He expressed concern that the report was overly optimistic about the coexistence of tigers and humans. Thapar argued that for tigers to survive in the long run, certain areas needed to be kept free from human interference. He said that a minimum area should be managed exclusively in its natural form for a tiger. Thapar wrote or edited more than 30 books on wildlife, including Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent (1997), and Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. He also presented and co-produced several well-known films for channels like the BBC. One of his more famous works was a six-part series "Land of the Tiger" (1997), which explored the nature and wildlife of the Indian subcontinent. In 2024, he appeared in the documentary "My Tiger Family," which showcased his 50 years of observing wild tigers in Ranthambore National Park. Thapar had strong reservations about Project Cheetah, India's initiative to reintroduce African cheetahs into the wild. He argued that India does not have the necessary habitat or prey base to support free-ranging cheetahs and that the authorities lacked experience in managing spotted felines in the wild. Paying her tributes, conservation biologist Neha Sinha called him "the international voice of Indian tigers for many many years" and urged people to read his influential books such as "Tiger Fire" and "Living with Tigers" as a tribute. Wildlife conservationist Nirmal Ghosh remembered him as "a giant of tiger conservation" who leaves behind "a lasting legacy as a global spokesman for the tiger."
Mint
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Valmik Thapar, who spent 50 years with tigers, passes away at 73
Eminent Indian wildlife conservationist and author Valmik Thapar passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 73. He had been battling cancer. His cremation will take place today at 3:30 pm at the Lodhi Electric Crematorium in Delhi. Thapar was best known for his lifelong dedication to the conservation of wild tigers, especially in Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park. Over a career spanning five decades, he became one of India's most respected voices for tiger protection. Born into a family of prominent intellectuals, Thapar was the son of noted journalist Romesh Thapar and nephew of renowned historian Romila Thapar. He graduated with a gold medal in sociology from St Stephen's College, Delhi University. He later married theatre artist Sanjana Kapoor, daughter of legendary actor Shashi Kapoor. Thapar was mentored by Fateh Singh Rathore, a pioneering figure in Indian wildlife conservation and a key member of the original Project Tiger team. Throughout his career, Thapar pushed for stronger anti-poaching laws and the protection of tiger habitats. He served on more than 150 government panels and task forces, including the National Board for Wildlife, which is chaired by the Prime Minister. In 2005, he was appointed to the Tiger Task Force, formed by the UPA government after tigers disappeared from the Sariska Tiger Reserve. He was a firm believer that the long-term survival of tigers depended on "preserving areas free from human activity". He often stressed the need to manage a core area "exclusively for tigers". Thapar authored or edited over 30 books on Indian wildlife, such as Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent (1997) and Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. He also co-produced and presented several wildlife documentaries, including the acclaimed BBC series Land of the Tiger (1997), which explored the rich biodiversity of the Indian subcontinent. In 2024, Thapar featured in the documentary My Tiger Family, where he reflected on five decades of observing wild tigers in Ranthambore. He was also known for his critical stance on Project Cheetah, stating that "India lacks the habitat, prey, and expertise" required to sustain African cheetahs in the wild. Congress Hails Conservationist Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge grieved the demise of Thapar, hailing him as a leading authority on tigers. "Deeply saddened to learn about the passing of noted conversationalist, author and naturalist, Valmik Thapar. "A leading authority on Tiger conservation, he was as(sic) one of India's most respected wildlife experts and was appointed a member of the Tiger Task Force of 2005. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, wildlife enthusiasts and the conservation community," Kharge said in a post on X. Congress general secretary and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh called Thapar a legendary figure in the world of conservation for over four decades of work on tigers. "It is a great loss," he said. Ramesh said today's Ranthambore, particularly, is a testimony to his deep commitment and indefatigable zeal. "He was uncommonly knowledgeable on a variety of issues relating to biodiversity and not a day passed during my Ministerial tenure without our talking to each other - with me almost always at the receiving end. "During my tenure as Chairman of the Standing Committee also he was a constant source of many valuable suggestions and advice. We had arguments but it was always an education to listen to him, full of passion and concern," Ramesh said. "He was truly an unforgettable one of a kind," he added. (With inputs from PTI)
News18
5 days ago
- General
- News18
Who Was Valmik Thapar, India's ‘Tiger Man', Who Passed Away At 73?
Last Updated: Valmik Thapar dedicated his life to the study and conservation of wild tigers, especially in Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park. Valmik Thapar, an eminent wildlife conservationist of India and an author, passed away at 73 at his residence on Saturday morning. He dedicated his life to the conservation of wild tigers, particularly in Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park. He was the son of Romesh Thapar, a well-known journalist. His aunt is historian Romila Thapar. He graduated with a gold medal in sociology from St Stephen's College, Delhi University, and married theatre artist Sanjana Kapoor, daughter of actor Shashi Kapoor. Thapar was guided by Fateh Singh Rathore, a legendary figure in Indian wildlife conservation and one of the core members of the original Project Tiger team. Who Was Valmik Thapar? Over a career spanning five decades, Valmik Thapar was a tireless advocate for tiger conservation, pushing for stricter anti-poaching laws and the protection of tiger habitats. He served on over 150 government committees and task forces, including the National Board for Wildlife, chaired by the Prime Minister. In 2005, he was appointed to the Tiger Task Force, established by the UPA government to assess the management of tiger reserves after tigers vanished from the Sariska Tiger Reserve. Thapar firmly believed that long-term tiger survival depended on preserving areas free from human activity. He argued that a minimum core area must be managed in its natural state exclusively for tigers. He authored or edited more than 30 books on wildlife, including Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent (1997) and Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. He also presented and co-produced several acclaimed wildlife films, notably the six-part BBC series Land of the Tiger (1997), showcasing the Indian subcontinent's biodiversity. In 2024, he appeared in the documentary My Tiger Family, reflecting on 50 years of observing wild tigers in Ranthambore. Thapar was critical of Project Cheetah, warning that India lacks the habitat, prey, and expertise for sustaining free-ranging African cheetahs. First Published: May 31, 2025, 12:00 IST
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Valmik Thapar, wildlife conservationist and author, passes away at 73
Valmik Thapar, one of India's most eminent wildlife conservationists and authors, died at his residence Saturday morning. He was 73. Born in New Delhi in 1952, Thapar dedicated his life to the study and conservation of wild tigers, especially in Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park. He co-founded the Ranthambhore Foundation in 1988, a non-governmental organisation focused on community-based conservation efforts. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh termed his death a great loss. 'Today's Ranthambore, particularly, is a testimony to his deep commitment and indefatigable zeal. He was uncommonly knowledgeable on a variety of issues relating to biodiversity, and not a day passed during my Ministerial tenure without our talking to each other, with me almost always at the receiving end,' Ramesh posted on X. Valmik Thapar, a legendary figure in the world of conservation over the past four decades - especially tigers - has just passed away. It is a great loss. Today's Ranthambore, particularly, is a testimony to his deep commitment and indefatigable zeal. He was uncommonly… — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 31, 2025 He said that during his tenure as chairman of the Standing Committee, Thapar was a constant source of valuable suggestions and advice. Thapar's father, Romesh Thapar, was a well-known journalist. His aunt is historian Romila Thapar, and his cousin, journalist Karan Thapar. He studied at The Doon School and later graduated with a gold medal in sociology from St Stephen's College, Delhi University. Thapar married theatre artist Sanjana Kapoor, daughter of actor Shashi Kapoor, and they have a son. Thapar was mentored by Fateh Singh Rathore, a legendary figure in Indian conservation and a key member of the original Project Tiger team. Over his five-decade-long career, Thapar strongly lobbied for tougher anti-poaching rules and efforts to protect tiger habitats. He was part of more than 150 government panels and task forces, including the National Board for Wildlife, which is led by the prime minister. In 2005, Thapar was appointed a member of the Tiger Task Force, set up by the UPA government to review the management of tiger reserves following the disappearance of tigers from Sariska Tiger Reserve. When the task force, chaired by environmentalist Sunita Narain, concluded its report, Thapar submitted a dissent note. He expressed concern that the report was overly optimistic about the coexistence of tigers and humans. Thapar argued that for tigers to survive in the long run, certain areas needed to be kept free from human interference. He said that a minimum area should be managed exclusively in its natural form for a tiger. Thapar wrote or edited more than 30 books on wildlife, including Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent (1997), and Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. He also presented and co-produced several well-known films for channels like the BBC. One of his more famous works was a six-part series 'Land of the Tiger' (1997), which explored the nature and wildlife of the Indian subcontinent. In 2024, he appeared in the documentary 'My Tiger Family,' which showcased his 50 years of observing wild tigers in Ranthambore National Park. Thapar had strong reservations about Project Cheetah, India's initiative to reintroduce African cheetahs into the wild. He argued that India does not have the necessary habitat or prey base to support free-ranging cheetahs and that the authorities lacked experience in managing spotted felines in the wild. Paying her tributes, conservation biologist Neha Sinha called him 'the international voice of Indian tigers for many many years' and urged people to read his influential books such as 'Tiger Fire' and 'Living with Tigers' as a tribute. Wildlife conservationist Nirmal Ghosh remembered him as 'a giant of tiger conservation' who leaves behind 'a lasting legacy as a global spokesman for the tiger.'
