tiger is an amazing animal, the top predator for a forest based ecosystem to be healthy. that tiger, once was abundant in india, but of late has been plummeting in numbers and gene pools.

threats to tiger are many. encroachments into the forests, easy poaching, under staffed, under paid and under beleaguered cared forest staffers, etc. add to this mix, the threat of development and a spineless ministry of environment and forests (moef) who are primary custodians of tiger population.

development, wherein forests are being ripped open for mining, dams, etc. now for past several years, we can add a careless attitude of top honchos of moef and this careless attitude and ill conceived plans threaten to push tiger into the oblivion. shekar dattari, well known wildlife film maker and activist chronicles it in his op-ed page.

when gdp is the mantra, tiger has no place in it. neither does the forests it inhabits and neither does the rivers that originate from the forests.

Alas tigers like machali (the majestic tiger of ranthambore pictured on the right) have no place in 'development'