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Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
‘Roar of the tiger goes silent': As Valmik Thapar passes away, tributes pour in for the wildlife conservationist and author
Valmik Thapar, a renowned Indian naturalist, conservationist, and writer, passed away at the age of 73 Saturday morning at his New Delhi residence. 'Valmik Thapar passed away peacefully early this morning, the 31st of May, at home. He will be cremated at the Lodhi Electric Crematorium at 3:30 PM this afternoon,' a post on the Sanctuary Nature Foundation portal read. A renowned tiger expert and Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve's stalwart, Thapar's legacy has left an indelible mark on wildlife conservation. His passing has sent shockwaves through the community, with many expressing their condolences and reflecting on their association with him. Dr Ullas Karanth, zoologist and tiger expert, described Thapar's passing, saying, 'roar of the tiger goes silent'. 'I am deeply saddened to learn that my friend and colleague of 32 years, Valmik has passed away. I met Valmik in 1993 in Delhi and realised instantly that we were bonded together forever by our passion for the tiger. His passion arose purely from the heart, inspired by the charisma of the cat. My passion was rooted in the mysteries of its ecology, and concern for the fate of tiger populations rather than of individual tigers. As we worked together over the next three decades, I was amazed by Valmik's single-minded focus, incredible drive and the shrewd understanding of how political systems worked,' he said. Among the generation of conservationists of post-colonial India, Thapar, who was born in 1952, stood tall as the most effective and genuine leader, Dr Karanth said in a statement. 'He made his impact initially in Ranthambore, but around the time we met, he was spreading his wings across India to work with several of us on pragmatic wildlife conservationists – not of the 'woke' academic kind that currently predominates,' he said. 'It is indeed extremely sad. He was a good friend,' said Sunil Limaye, former chief wildlife warden, Maharashtra, who first met Thapar in 2010. 'At that time, human-animal conflict with leopards reaching human settlement was being widely discussed. That was the first time I met him where he discussed how such conflicts are all about space, encroachment of the space of animals,' said Limaye. Neha Singh, founder, FORREST, Forest Regeneration and Environmental Sustainability Trust, said that she came to know Thapar through his books. 'As a lead protector of Indian forests, he has inspired a generation of conservationists in India. As fearless as the tigers he protected and studied. His legacy lives on in the forests we are fighting to protect and conserve,' Singh said. Vivek Sharma, founder, Snakehub, and co-founder, IndianSnakes, shared an interesting anecdote. 'I was privileged to listen to Valmik sir live some 15 months ago. He was such a person who would not tone down his opinion just to convince people. He spoke his heart as usual. He explained about problems in Cheetah introduction and his story of Ranthambore. In between his 1.5 hour talk, suddenly he stood up and said flatly, 'I am now 72 year old, I don't have many years left and I want to spend every moment with tigers so I cannot miss any safari and will keep doing so till I am alive', and walked away. That was his passion,' Sharma said. Dr Karanth, too, vouched for Thapar's intellect and his ability to not flinch from speaking out. Thapar's prodigious advocacy for tigers through his television documentaries, numerous books and passionate pleadings with those in power stands unmatched, he shared. 'What impressed me most about Valmik was, he did not flinch from speaking out on what he felt was right. He also intelligently changed his position on issues when rational evidence was presented, a rare trait in most individuals driven by pure passion,' said Dr Karanth. Thapar has been credited with many amendments to wildlife laws, setting up of the wildlife crime bureau, formation of the Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court, establishment of the Global Tiger Forum and appointment of the Tiger Task Force. Dr Karanth also said Thapar 'made us all effective on the ground. Regardless of who ran the political show in Delhi, Valmik could get things done. A dozen of us, officials and non-officials, sometimes provided ideas and supported him in whatever way we could.' According to Dr Karanth, who had a long-standing association with Thapar, said conservationists in Karnataka will remember him fondly. 'They enjoyed his support on key issues, such as the closure of the Kudremukh mine, conservation resettlement from wildlife reserves, improving tiger science, and supporting law enforcement on ground when forest department was resource-starved,' Dr Karanth said. As the son-in-law of veteran actor Shashi Kapoor, Thapar, once shared that the passing of his parents Raj and Romesh Thapar left a void in his life. 'My life's work has been very different from what Raj and Romesh did. But their goodwill across so many shades of life cushioned and at some level even gave direction to my life. It is truly amazing. I still dream about my parents and in those dreams I am always in conversation with them, in debate and discussion. That fine-tuning of the mind comes from the rich experiences that I lived through with Raj and Romesh. It is a great feeling because they float in and out of this life I have been so privileged to lead,' Thapar once shared in a 'personal tribute' on Waterman of India, Rajendra Singh, Indian water conservationist and environmentalist from Alwar district, Rajasthan, shared in a post on Facebook, 'I had the privilege of spending time with the legendary Valmik Thapar, including a memorable jungle excursion. He embodied the spirit of wildlife conservation, and it was clear that his life's purpose was dedicated to protecting tigers. His conversations were always infused with passion and insight, with wildlife being the sole focus. Famous historian Romila Thapar is Valmik Thapar's aunt and veteran journalist Karan Thapar is his cousin. Jayashree Narayanan writes on fitness, health, aviation safety, food, culture and everything lifestyle. She is an alumnus of AJKMCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia and Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi ... Read More
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Veteran tiger conservationist, author Valmik Thapar passes away in Delhi
Renowned tiger conservationist and author passed away in Delhi on Saturday morning. A central figure in India's wildlife conservation movement since the mid-1970s, Thapar was known for his decades-long work in protecting tigers and had served on more than 150 central and state government panels, Hindustan Times reported. According to the Sanctuary Nature Foundation, most of Thapar's fieldwork was centred in Rajasthan, though he also played a pivotal role in the revival of other key reserves, notably Maharashtra's Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. A vocal advocate of responsible tourism, Thapar challenged the belief that all forms of tourism harm wildlife. He supported innovative approaches that foster collaboration between communities, scientists, forest staff, bureaucrats and the media to create sustainable conservation models. Thapar authored 32 books over his lifetime, including four on African wildlife. His notable works include Living With Tigers and The Secret Life of Tigers. Thapar also inspired a whole generation of conservationists and students. Tributes pour in for veteran tiger conservationist Thapar Congress leader and former environment minister Jairam Ramesh described Valmik Thapar as a towering figure in wildlife conservation, particularly tiger protection, over the past four decades. Calling his passing a significant loss on social media platform X, Ramesh said today's thriving Ranthambore is a reflection of Thapar's tireless dedication and deep commitment. 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 added that Thapar had an exceptional grasp of biodiversity issues and was a regular voice in policy discussions. 'Not a single day went by during my ministerial tenure without us speaking and more often than not, I was at the receiving end,' Ramesh said. He also recalled their frequent exchanges when he chaired the parliamentary standing committee, noting that while they often debated, Thapar's insights were always rich with passion and concern. Taking to social media, Koustubh Sharma, conservation science director at the Snow Leopard Trust, said, 'Valmik, it's hard to believe you're gone.' He remembered first encountering Thapar in 1993 as a high school student, deeply moved by his compelling talk on tiger conservation. He further recalled, 'Years later, I was genuinely surprised to get a call from your deep voice, asking me to be in Delhi in March 2008 to receive the Carl Zeiss Award for Nature Conservation.' Sharma added, 'That you recommended me to a recent university graduate for my first conservation award said so much about your generosity and faith in others.' He said he treasured the long hours spent helping Thapar craft impactful presentations. 'Working with you over the years taught me a great deal about how to make a message resonate,' Sharma said, fondly recalling a lighter moment: 'One of my favourite memories is you calling in a panic, convinced you had 'bacteria or whatever it is' in your computer and asking me to fix it!' Rest in Peace, Valmik Thapar, the international voice of Indian tigers for many many years. As a tribute to him, do read the many books he penned on tigers: 'Tiger Fire', 'Living with Tigers' and others. — Neha Sinha (@nehaa_sinha) May 31, 2025 Conservation biologist Neha Sinha said, 'Valmik was a fearless champion for the tiger, raising awareness of India's tiger conservation challenges on a global stage. As a keen student of tiger behaviour, his numerous books offered valuable insights into their habits and nature. He skilfully blended academic research with passionate advocacy at a time when India's conservation movement was still in its infancy. He will be remembered as the voice for a creature that cannot speak for itself.'
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Valmik Thapar, veteran tiger conservationist, author, passes away in Delhi
New Delhi: Valmik Thapar, veteran tiger conservationist and author, passed away in Delhi on Saturday morning. He had been at the forefront of tiger conservation in India since the mid-1970s and had served on over 150 committees of both central and state governments. 'His influence has been expansive, and though today he works almost exclusively in Rajasthan, with the state government, he has been instrumental in the revitalisation of other parks such as Maharashtra's beloved Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve,' according to Sanctuary Nature Foundation. 'Thapar has also been vocal in eschewing the dogmatic view that all tourism is bad tourism, and is a leading proponent of innovative tourism that can benefit both parks and people. All this, he firmly believes, is only possible by knitting together a cross-sectoral group of like-minded people including scientists, activists, village leaders, forest officials, bureaucrats, politicians and the free press,' it added. Thapar authored 32 books, including four on Africa. 'Living With Tigers', 'The Secret Life of Tigers' are among those. 'Valmik, it's hard to believe you're gone. I still vividly remember seeing you for the first time in 1993 as a high school kid captivated by your powerful presentation on the plight of the tiger. That day, I raised my hand and asked, 'What can we do for tigers?' and your response—'What are you doing right now? Get your friends together and write to the Chief Minister so he can do all he can to protect the majestic tiger. Do what it takes to be heard'. That ignited something which never faded,' remembered Koustubh Sharma, conservation science director, Snow Leopard Trust. 'Years later, I was genuinely surprised to get that call from your deep voice, asking me to be in Delhi in March 2008 to receive the Carl Zeiss Award for Nature Conservation. To think you recommended me, a fresh out of university, for my first conservation award, speaks volumes about your generosity and belief in others. I cherished working several hours with you on your presentations. Working closely with you over the years, I learned so much about making powerful and impactful presentations. One of my favourite, funny memories is you calling frantically, convinced you had 'bacteria or whatever it is' in your computer and asking me to fix it!,' recollected Sharma. 'I was truly fortunate to know you and work alongside you. Your immense generosity with praise was unforgettable; I'll never forget you introducing me to the then Prime Minister and his Wildlife Board, showcasing the power of videos created with satellite imagery, and championing young conservationists to the high and mighty. You had strong opinions, but what I cherished most was your openness to changing them based on knowledge and experience. That I could challenge your views and see you smile, continuing the conversation, showed me you wanted to be heard, but also genuinely wanted to hear others. You truly were a force unmatched, an inspiration, a phenomenon. The world will miss you dearly, Valmik,' Sharma added. Thapar has inspired an entire generation of conservationists and students. 'Valmik was a fearless advocate for the tiger, taking the conservation concerns for the Indian tiger worldwide. he was also a keen student of tiger behaviour, and his various books on tigers shed enormous light on their behaviour and ways. he eloquently combined scholastic enquiry with passionate defence for wildlife at a time when the conservation movement was still young in India. He will be remembered for being the voice of an animal that cannot speak for itself,' conservation biologist Neha Sinha said.
