Latest news with #tigers
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Valmik Thapar: Legendary conservationist dubbed India's ‘Tiger Man' dies aged 73
One of India 's best-known wildlife conservationists, Valmik Thapar, has died at his home in Delhi at the age of 73. Dubbed India's ' Tiger Man', Thapar dedicated five decades of his life to reviving the big cat's dwindling population, writing nearly 50 books on the subject and appearing in a host of nature documentaries including for the BBC. Thapar co-founded the Ranthambore Foundation in 1988, an important non profit focused on community-based conservation efforts. The charity reportedly worked across almost 100 villages around the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, one of the biggest success stories in the country in terms of its flourishing tiger population, in the western state of Rajasthan. Never afraid to speak out over the shortcomings of government bureaucracy, he served as an expert on scores of public committees and was also part of the National Board for Wildlife, a Supreme Court-empowered committee which is led by the country's prime minister. In 2005 Thapar was appointed a member of the Tiger Task Force, set up by the government to review the management of tiger reserves following the infamous disappearance of the big cats from Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. He disagreed with the findings of the task force, arguing that the report was overly optimistic about the coexistence of tigers and humans. Thapar said that for tigers to survive, certain forest areas needed to be completely free from human interference – a claim that put him in odds with activists advocating for the rights of forest-dwelling communities and tribes. Among the books on tigers written by Thapar are the popular Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent (1997), and Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. He has presented and co-produced landmark wildlife documentaries, including the BBC series Land of the Tiger in 1997, which explored the wildlife of the Indian subcontinent. In recent years, he had been critical of the government's Project Cheetah, which reintroduced African cheetahs into India. "Thapar was no arm-chair conservationist, he spent as much time as possible in the field. Be it in the searing heat or an icy cold winter morning, rain or shine, he would be ideating with community elders and officers managing India's Tiger Reserves and National Parks to find solutions to complex, sensitive issues," his family said in a statement, according to The Hindu. "Of course, he enjoyed his time in the jungle with his camera and binoculars, not just in the Indian wilderness but also in Africa. But what gave him the most pleasure was spending time with tigers in Ranthambore." Last year, he appeared in the BBC's My Tiger Family – a 50-year story of an Indian tiger clan in Ranthambore. Thapar is survived by his wife Sanjana Kapoor and their son Hamir Thapar. Jairam Ramesh, a senior figure in the opposition Congress party and former environment minister, said Thapar "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'. "We had arguments but it was always an education to listen to him, full of passion and concern. He was truly an unforgettable one of a kind," he added.
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
100,000 Apex ‘Feline' Predators Roamed The Earth In 1900 — Today, Only A Few Thousand Remain. A Biologist Explains, And Reveals The 3 Subspecies Lost Forever
Felines comprise all cat species, from domestic cats to big cats like leopards, lions, tigers and ... More jaguars. Many of these species have suffered greatly from human hunting and habitat degradation. Here's one unfortunate example. All cats are predators – they hunt and kill other animals for food. Some cats, of course, are more formidable predators than others. Among cat species, the tiger reigns as the 'apex' predator of its class. It is the largest known cat species and has no rival in the animal kingdom – save for humans. To be fair, humans were no match for tigers before the invention of modern weaponry. Even until the early 1900s, tiger populations were healthy around the world. Guns, modern agriculture and industrialization changed its fate. Here are the details on the decimation of the nine known tiger populations, with special attention paid to the three tiger lineages that have gone extinct. The Bali tiger was the smallest of all tiger subspecies and native only to the Indonesian island of Bali. It was last definitively seen in the wild in the 1930s, and declared extinct shortly thereafter. Due to its limited range and the island's growing human population, the Bali tiger suffered from deforestation, loss of prey, and hunting. Its extinction is particularly tragic because no Bali tigers were ever kept in captivity – once the last wild individuals disappeared, the subspecies was lost forever. Once widespread across Central Asia, the Caspian tiger was declared extinct in the 1970s. Once ranging across Central Asia, the Caspian tiger was a massive subspecies that inhabited riverine corridors and forested areas across what is now Turkey, Iran, and western China. Despite its imposing size and adaptability, it fell victim to widespread hunting, habitat fragmentation and Soviet agricultural projects in the mid-20th century. Officially declared extinct in the 1970s, recent genetic studies show it shared close DNA similarities with the Amur tiger, fueling conversations about potential rewilding using its closest genetic relative. The Javan tiger, native to the densely populated island of Java in Indonesia, was driven to extinction by the 1980s due to deforestation, agricultural expansion, and poaching. Although there have been occasional unverified reports of sightings, no conclusive evidence has surfaced in decades, and conservationists widely consider the species extinct. The world's largest living cat, the Amur tiger survives in the Russian Far East. Also known as the Siberian tiger, the Amur tiger is the largest living cat in the world and primarily roams the Russian Far East, with a few straying into northeastern China. Once critically endangered, their numbers have rebounded to an estimated 500–600 individuals, thanks to intense conservation efforts and anti-poaching laws. However, their habitat remains under constant threat from illegal logging, infrastructure development and climate change, making their future far from secure. India's national animal, the Bengal tiger is the most numerous remaining subspecies. The Bengal tiger is the most numerous of the remaining tiger subspecies, primarily found in India but also in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. Even so, only about 2,500 individuals remain in the wild. Despite being a cultural and national symbol, Bengal tigers face significant threats from habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict and poaching for their skin and body parts, which are still valued in illegal wildlife markets. Their survival hinges on continued protection and habitat connectivity across South Asia. (Sidebar: Most Bengal tigers avoid humans — but not all. One became the deadliest man-eater in recorded history, killing over 400 people and evading capture for years. Read the full story here.) This elusive subspecies inhabits the dense forests of Southeast Asia, including parts of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. With fewer than 400 individuals left in the wild, the Indochinese tiger is particularly vulnerable due to deforestation for plantations and infrastructure, as well as poaching. Many live in isolated forest patches, making genetic diversity and breeding opportunities a growing concern for long-term survival. Critically endangered, fewer than 150 Malayan tigers remain in the wild. Discovered to be genetically distinct from the Indochinese tiger only in 2004, the Malayan tiger is found exclusively in the tropical forests of the Malay Peninsula. Its population has plummeted to fewer than 150 individuals in the wild. The main threats are poaching and extensive deforestation for palm oil plantations. While Malaysia has launched national campaigns to save its iconic tiger, conservationists warn that without urgent and sustained action, this subspecies could be the next to disappear. Often regarded as functionally extinct in the wild, the South China tiger hasn't been seen in its native habitat since the 1990s. Historically found across southern China, the subspecies was decimated during a government campaign to eradicate predators in the mid-20th century. While a small number survive in captivity, primarily in Chinese zoos, they suffer from inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. Reintroduction efforts are underway, but without confirmed wild populations, their future is bleak. The smallest surviving tiger subspecies, found only on Indonesia's Sumatra island. The Sumatran tiger is the smallest surviving tiger subspecies and is found only on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. With fewer than 400 individuals left in fragmented forest habitats, it is critically endangered. Illegal logging, human encroachment and poaching have devastated its population. Nevertheless, it benefits from being a conservation priority in Indonesia, with several protected areas and growing international attention. Does thinking about the extinction of a species instantly change your mood? Take the Connectedness to Nature Scale to see where you stand on this unique personality dimension.
Times
22-05-2025
- Times
18 of the best wildlife holiday ideas
For some of us, nothing can match the thrill of seeing incredible, exotic animals in the wild. We all have different favourites, whether it's rare birds, big cats, beavers, humpback whales or elephants, and our budgets and willingness to rough it vary. Accordingly, these suggestions — from blow-out expeditions to staycations — cater to every type of fauna fan. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue If you don't succeed at first, try, try again — try 14 times again, in fact. That's the logic of Exodus's small-group tiger safaris in northern India, which offer 15 game drives across three dependable, distinct national parks (Pench, Kanha and Bandhavgarh) in the search for the iconic Bengal tiger. Despite this apex predator's endangered status, virtually every group that has taken the tour has reported sightings, usually multiple. You may also see leopards, sloth bears and monkeys, and you'll definitely get to lay your eyes on something that matches tigers for aesthetic oomph: the magnificent Taj Mahal monument. • The best cities to visit in India• Best time to visit India: how to plan your trip• Discover our full guide to India A trip from Wild Frontiers Travel goes along the Via Egnatia, a Roman road in the north of mainland Greece, and through the Pindus Mountains. Wildlife-wise, you will visit a sanctuary for rescued bears and, most likely, spy giant pelicans during a cruise. Flamingos are among the 300 other bird species that you will see in two days beside Lake Kerkini National Park. The trip, from an operator known for adventures, also offers culture, starting at the Unesco-listed Meteora monastery and ending at Mount Athos. • Discover our full guide to Greece• The most beautiful places in Greece As far as wildlife goes, Patagonia — a vast, little-populated region straddling the southernmost portions of Argentina and Chile — has a trio of headline acts, and Swoop Patagonia's Pumas, Penguins & Whales small-group tour aims to introduce you to all three. You'll look for pumas around a lagoon near Torres del Paine before taking a ferry across the legendary Straits of Magellan to a reserve supporting king penguins. Lastly, a yacht-based trip takes you to the island of Carlos III, off which humpback whales are reliably spotted. Departures run from December to March; you can stay in hotels, basic guesthouses and comfy eco-camps. • Patagonia travel: great things to do on your trip• Discover our full guide to Argentina• Discover our full guide to Chile The Galapagos is an ever-changing carousel of wonders for children. Boobies with blue feet! Giant tortoises! Marine iguanas like miniature dinosaurs! Better still, life in this evolutionary classroom doesn't run away: it just stares back at you. After a magical jet-lag pick-me-up in Ecuador's Mashpi cloud forest, visit the neighbouring Isabela, Santa Fe and Santa Cruz islands to watch volcanoes and spot sea lions while you snorkel. • The very best Galapagos cruises Golden eagles over the Isle of Mull, seals by your kayak amid the skerries of Arisaig, roe deer on the Cairngorms' heather moors — the Scottish Highlands wildlife week with Wilderness Scotland is one big Facebook filler for families. Designed to be fun, not just a species count, the tour is divided between hotels in Ardnamurchan and a Cairngorms village. You will see bottlenose dolphins on a boat trip on the Moray Firth and hunker down in a moorland hide at dusk. • Read our full guide to Scotland May in Madeira means being saturated in colour, and the arrival of sperm whales offshore to feed. It is when endemic whale species calve and when Europe's rarest seabird, the Zino's petrel, breeds on cliffs. During the Birds, Whales & Dolphins of Madeira tour, Wildlife Worldwide's experts will guide you on boats and through forests to locate a spotter's book of strange species — Bryde's whales, Trocaz pigeons or Berthelot's pipits. It's a trip that's catnip to wildlife anoraks. • Discover the best things to do in Madeira• Great hotels in Madeira All set for a slow journey through one of the best birding locations in Britain? Three reserves lie on the trail of this self-guided, five-night walk along the flinty north Norfolk coast. Flat terrain and an average of three hours' luggage-free walking a day allows time to watch waders in the soupy shallows off RSPB Snettisham or to tick off species in the reedbeds of the Holkham and Cley reserves. Book ahead to visit the UK's largest seal colony on Blakeney Point. The accommodation includes a smart guesthouse and a country pub. • Most beautiful places in the UK• Great hotels in Norfolk The European Nature Trust (Tent) helped to curate this tailor-made tour from Steppes Travel, so you have good odds of spotting one of the world's most elusive cats. About 2,000 Iberian lynxes now roam Portugal and Spain's wildest pockets, including the latter's Sierra de Andujar range in Andalusia. Fully adaptable, Steppes' suggested itinerary involves at least one day's safari with expert guides, and privileged access to Tent's scientific work, from camera traps to conservation efforts. You can also build in olive oil tasting, waterfalls and hikes looking for vultures. • Read our full guide to Spain• Discover the most beautiful places in SpainEurope's answer to Botswana's Okavango, the Danube Delta is a Romanian wetland larger than Coto Doñana and the Camargue combined, and home to about 300 bird species including night and purple herons, pygmy cormorants and clouds of pelicans. On Naturetrek's Danube Delta & Carpathian Mountains tour, a houseboat hotel provides a suitable base to explore swamps that extend to the Black Sea. You will spend a few days beforehand in the forests of Transylvania's Carpathian mountains, home to bears, wallcreepers and Vlad the Impaler's castle. Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula is thought to be one of the most species-rich places in the world: an estimated 2.5 per cent of the planet's biodiversity is crammed into 0.001 per cent of its area. Heaven knows why it is so little visited. Expect to spot quetzals, tapirs and hummingbirds — Osa's jaguar population is elusive — during a trip that's bound to be pure Instagram gold. The tour company Sunvil has a Birdwatching Itinerary that visits the peninsula. • The best places to see wildlife in Costa Rica• Costa Rica honeymoon ideas: the most romantic places to stayIt's Europe, but only just. The Azores is a bucket-list destination for European diving, where you'll get up close to spectacular species. Moreover, they are the sort you usually have to travel long-haul for: blue and hammerhead sharks, humpback whales and enormous manta rays. Your base on Dive Worldwide's Dive Pico — Mantas & More tour is Pico, where plummeting depths and nutrient-rich seas bring the big stuff close inshore. Ten dives are included and you'll get to explore an impressive underwater labyrinth of volcanic arches and caverns. • Great hotels in the Azores• What to do in the Azores To the uneducated, Dartmoor appears to be empty moorland. Nick Baker, from the BBC's Springwatch and Autumnwatch, proves otherwise over three days. There's bird-spotting and net-dipping in the Teign Gorge and a mini-safari along the River Dart, seeing butterflies in grassland and tracking otters in woods before a night safari to hear nightjars and snipe. The final day of this Wildlife Worldwide tour brings hunts for ring ouzels and rare fritillary butterflies on upland moors. • The UK's best national parks and how to visit them Spend 12 days accompanying a long-term study of killer whales (orcas) on the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off western Iceland. Reached by plane or ferry from Reykjavik, it is a proper research base, so you will be slugging shots of Brennivin schnapps with scientists as part of an Icelandic island community — that's when you are not recording orca behaviour on the water, spotting puffins or preparing biopsy samples for the lab. Unesco-listed Vestmannaeyjar isn't too shabby either, with hikes to make the soul sing. • Read our full guide to Iceland• The best things to do in Iceland• Great places to stay in IcelandElephants encountered on foot, rhinos (black and white) and sundowners on the deck — Galpin Tented Camp, available through Expert Africa, is one long TikTok opportunity for over-16s. It is a great-value place on the Kwandwe Reserve, the Eastern Cape's wildest safari experience, with sole use for groups of the posh tents. Tailor-made trips here are very much your holiday at your pace. One of South Africa's largest big-five reserves lies beyond the tent flap and all guiding is included — one helluva finale to a Garden Route holiday and just two hours from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). • Best safaris in South Africa• See our full guide to South Africa The popular Scillies are Cornwall's answer to the Caribbean. If you go in autumn warblers and chats will be flitting in hedgerows before migration and rare whimbrels will be strutting through the shallows. If you go in spring you will find grey seal pups while on a boat trip to the uninhabited Eastern Isles. Birdlife is marvellous year-round, with oystercatchers and night herons among more than 450 species. Stay on St Mary's, the main island. • Best hotels on the Isles of Scilly• Find the best UK cruises Ancient and rustling with life, the Forest of Dean is Britain's version of rainforest, if you look at it through expert eyes. It's the home patch of the BBC broadcaster and 'wildlife detective' Ed Drewitt and his two-hour safaris winkle out its secrets. Go during the day to spot rare species such as crossbills and peregrine falcons. At dusk you will watch wild boar rootle through the undergrowth as bats flit overhead. Or join a dawn expedition to learn about forest birdsong at its most joyful. Stay at the country-chic Tudor Farmhouse Hotel, which also organises the safaris. Few who slurp fizz on the French Riviera realise that one of Europe's most rewarding birding destinations lies near by. From autumn until spring, thousands of flamingos join abundant birdlife in the marshes of the Camargue — the Ornithological Park of Pont de Gau is photo magic. Drive 30 minutes and you might see rare Bonelli's eagles in the Alpilles mountains. Stay in style at Le Mas de Peint, a rustic-chic eco-hotel deep within the saltmarsh, which offers birding safaris by 4×4 and on Camargue's famous white horses. • Fantastic walking holidays in France• The most beautiful places in France (and how to see them) Bush camps and beavers, floating saunas and wild swims — this beautifully basic forest break in Sweden from Responsible Travel is as much a Thoreau fantasy to step off the world's merry-go-round as it is a wildlife holiday. For three full days you'll go a bit wild: stalking moose, canoeing on lakes where beavers swim, foraging berries and yarning by a campfire before bedding down in a tented camp and listening to wolves howl. You'll otherwise be sleeping at Farna Herrgard, a beautiful country manor turned spa hotel, two hours from Stockholm. • Best things to do in Sweden Additional reporting by Richard Mellor
Times
18-05-2025
- General
- Times
Indian children taught how to coexist with tigers as numbers grow
In rural northern India, where arable fields merge into untamed forest and buffaloes graze within earshot of wild elephants, a quiet educational revival is under way. Schoolchildren are being taught a lesson their grandparents found they did not need, and that their parents largely forgot — how to coexist with tigers. The scheme is a response to good news. In 2010, when the number of tigers in India fell to only 1,700, the country pledged to double the population. That target has been met: there are now more than 3,600. However, according to Dr Mayukh Chatterjee, a conservation biologist at Chester Zoo, this success story comes with sharper claws than many realise. 'Tiger numbers didn't double in a vacuum,' he said. Instead, the
CBS News
13-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Colorado plan for development adjacent to the Wild Animal Sanctuary worries the tourist attraction in Keenesburg
The popular Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg is seeking legal assistance from a contract lawyer, citing their concerns with proposed development around their property. The sanctuary, which houses dozens of bears, tigers and more, is located north of Denver International Airport in Weld County. CBS Executive Director Pat Craig said the sanctuary was notified nearly a decade ago that a neighbor to their south was intending on developing their property into some homes. Recently that process regained momentum with paperwork and approvals filed through Weld County's commissioners. "It is a big deal for us," Craig said. Craig said he never thought he would see the day that homes were being built around the sanctuary, noting how rural the land has been since the sanctuary relocated there from Boulder County. "We needed more space for the animals, so that is why we moved out here about 31 years ago. This was an ocean of wheat fields back then," Craig said. "When we moved out here 30 years ago the nearest house was 5 miles away." However, today, there are homes that share fence lines with fence lines that keep in the tigers, bears, horses and more. Saying he loves most of their current neighbors, Craig shared his concern with more people moving in near the sanctuary. He compared it to Stapleton Airport and Bandimere Speedway, both of which existed before communities surrounded them and started complaining about noise and other congestion issues. "We were really concerned about a concentration of people, because it is like an airport where a lot of people move in around it and pretty soon the airport needs to move. That would be really hard for us, or put us out of business, because it is too big of a facility to pack up and move," Craig said. Craig said some people have complained in the past about the smells that can come from the property, the amount of birds that are attracted to the land by the thousands of pounds of meat they serve weekly and even the sounds many of the animals make throughout the day and night. "You are going to have people starting to say maybe it was okay when it was nothing out in the middle of nowhere, but now you have to move," Craig said. CBS News Colorado attempted to reach the land owners who are seeking to sell their property for development, however they never returned requests for comment or interview. Weld County's board of commissioners confirmed their stance that they believe the landowners, who reportedly have moved to Florida, are in compliance with the county when it comes to sale of the property. The sanctuary does have a contract with the land owners to the south which helps set some guidelines as to what steps must be taken before development can happen. Craig said the sanctuary is hoping to retain legal council to help enforce the contract. "We are just trying to protect the animals because we have had issues in the past," Craig said.
