Saving the tiger, year after year
For Amit Sankhala, Managing Director, Encounters Asia, protecting and working towards increasing the population of tigers in India comes naturally. In an exclusive interview with TRAVTALK, he shares his story.
Q Tell us about your grandfather, the Tiger Man of India.
My grandfather, Kailash conservationist (as early as 1956) who raised his voice in favour of protecting the tiger. He conducted an extensive study under the Jawaharlal Nehru fellowship during a time when the tiger population was dwindling at an alarming rate, due to poaching and hunting. His research later led him to Project Tiger in 1973.
Q A recent Discovery Channel film showcased his contribution. Tell us about that.
highlight two individuals who were passionate about saving tigers. One of them was Pavi Flamenco in Russia and the other was my grandfather. The and his passion and commitment to saving tigers in the wild. In the 1960s and 70s, the idea of conserving forests and tigers was revolutionary in itself. While he was director of Project Tiger, a ban on tiger hunting had been imposed. Today, the fact that we have protected areas throughout the country under Project Tiger Reserves is a successful feat in itself.
Q How do you plan to take your father’s and grandfather’s work forward?
The camps we build today follow the same principles my father had put in place. Our camp in Jamtara is made completely from reclaimed furniture, employs over 90 per cent of local villagers and is only operational seven months a year, allowing the land to go back to its natural state. The tents are taken down, the down to bare bones so that we can see the wildlife come back to its land. We have a concept called the ‘Star Bed’, which is a recreation of the machan bed of the villager who sleeps on it every night to protect the crops from the wildlife. We want our guests to experience the Star Bed and understand the challenges the local villagers face. Q How active, according to you, are the government and forest department in the conservation of tigers and wildlife? I think, the forest department has done a tremendous job throughout the country in increasing the tiger. It is not an easy task, especially with the limited resources they are given. The challenge today is not just poaching but loss of habitat. We are losing a lot of our forests to infrastructure development, mining, highways, etc. This is a save our forests.