Conservationist Billy Arjan Singh's experiments with hand-rearing leopards and tiger cubs made the world sit up and take notice of the need to protect India's wildlife. In Billy Arjan Singh: Tiger of Dudhwa, Shaminder Boparai tells the story of this gutsy conservationist who did things his way, and succeeded
Conservationist Billy Arjan Singh's experiments with hand-rearing leopards and tiger cubs made the world sit up and take notice of the need to protect India's wildlife. In Billy Arjan Singh: Tiger of Dudhwa, Shaminder Boparai tells the story of this gutsy conservationist who did things his way, and succeeded
The sun-kissed visual of Billy Arjan Singh with Tara, the tiger cub, on a morning walk on Sathiana Road inside Dudhwa's forests might appear like a frame from the cinematic adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, with one minor difference. This story didn't have stuntmen or second takes.
Tara in an aggressive mood: "When threatened, she would
retaliate by getting up on her hind legs in a southpaw stance,
like a boxer saying, 'come on'". PIC/ Lisa Choegyal
Billy Arjan Singh was probably the first man in the world known to have hand-reared a tiger cub and returned it to the wild. From sharp shooting hunter to agriculturalist and finally conservationist, his is a remarkable chronicle -- the stuff wildlife legends are made of.
Shaminder Boparai, a mechanical engineer and avid bird and wildlife enthusiast, tells his storyu00a0-- sans the frills. Just like Billy. This photographic biography seamlessly takes the reader on a ride, as Singh strode the canvas of India's wildlife conservation like a colossus. His daunting physique, thanks to his fitness routine, added to the aura of the man. Weightlifting and long walks through the forests were his daily exercise routine. A far cry from the sickly, thin kid he was, who couldn't pursue sports.
The last crossing: Little did Singh know that this was goodbye.
At six weeks, the cubs were getting heavy to carry for Harriet,
with the result that she was putting them down into the boat's
narrow bows, and a few times it felt she might drop them into
the river, Singh observed. PIC/Mike Price
Hunter to saviour
There's never a dull moment through the 13 chapters -- each is peppered with Singh's encounters with the wild and his trysts with the powers that be, as he fought for Dudhwa's forests and wildlife. Boparai, he doesn't glorify our hero -- especially since Singh's life could've easily been translated into a thrill-a-page account.
Instead, the book brings out with utter clarity, the engaging, intimate, father-like relationships that Singh shared with his hand-reared big cats, the three leopards (Prince, Harriet and Juliette) and Tara the tiger, offering a terrific insight into a world where man and animal lived in harmony.
Foster father: Singh, sharing an intimate moment with Tara.
'I do concede that the tiger is capable of much wider associations,
albeit temporary, to that extent he is more social,' he said.
PIC/Dieter & Mary Plage
Even more jaw-dropping is the bit about the connection that Singh's mongrel Eelie shared with these fierce cats -- a seemingly unbelievable twist to the laws of nature and of the jungle. Singh introduced Eelie to each of his four big cats early on and each shared a special rapport with her. Psychologically, Singh felt she always held the upper hand to Prince, Harriet, Juliette and Tara, irrespective of the fact that a swipe of their paw could've easily killed her. He didn't mind -- he felt these romps prepared them for bigger challenges in the jungle.
They would go for walks and even slept in the same verandah on either side of Singh's bed. This special relationship was best illustrated by the fact that while the cats would hunt other dogs and their offspring, they always treated Eelie differently.
The photographs are priceless and unlike anything showcased before about an Indian conservationist. Singh's controversial methods of dealing with the cats and the wrath they incurred offer the reader a peek into the seamier side of wildlife conservation in India.
Singh wrote prolifically, from letters to India's leaders,u00a0 to books on wildlife (including Tiger Haven, Prince of Cats) to ensure that India's wildlife remained in the spotlight. After considering his views, late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (whose role is richly acknowledged by Singh) declared Dudhwa as a national park on February 1, 1977.
Boparai spent five years with the legend, and the effort shows. Letters, rare photographs and accounts from those who interacted with him find their way into this book. This is a rich tribute to the controversial, charming and affable conservationist, who was called Shikhari Babu, by those he knew.
Billy Arjan Singh: Tiger of Dudhwa, HarperCollins, Rs 799
My experiences with Billy Arjan >>>>>>>>>
Aniruddha Mookerjee, Editor, Tiger of Dudhwa, wildlife
conservationist and representative, World Society for
Protection of Animals
The saddest part is that I never got to meet the man. Being a former journalist who reported on wildlife and the environment, I've tracked his work for over 25 years and have read everything he has written. What comes to mind instantly, was his tenacity and single-mindedness of purpose, both of which are sorely lacking among today's experts. Billy and Fateh (Singh Rathore -- renowned tiger conservationist who passed away in March 2011) came from the same school. Like Fateh, Billy had no formal training. He worked instinctively and from the heart. Today's conservationalists are political and so they have failed. Billy was uncompromising in his methods -- they may have not been the best, yet he worked hard to make them succeed. Today, the concern is that conservationists have become calculative in their thoughts, which might dilute the overall effort. Billy never compromised his efforts and hence never lost sight of his focus. Their (Billy's and Fateh's) deaths signal the passing of an era.
Shaminder Boparai, Author, Tiger of Dudhwa and wildlife
photographer
I decided to tell Billy's story when I met him in Tiger Haven, in 2005. He was a friend of my grandfather, Dr Manohar Singh Sindhu. He had huge stockpiles of negatives that needed to be chronicled. That's when I realised we needed to tell his story. Work began in August 2008. Once, Billy told me about this leopard he had shot. It was nearing sunset and he could see the flame burning in its eyes, after he shot the animal from his jeep. As he approached the dead leopard, the flame diminished. "I realised that I'd taken away the fire in his eyes," he confided. That's when he decided to shift gears from being a hardcore hunter to a conservationist. He took up hunting as a form of redirected aggression. In 1971, he met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and urged her to get Project Tiger on track. He wanted to convert Dudhwa Sanctuary into a national park. In fact, the park should be named after him. I still believe his spirit wanders in its forests. 
Bittu Sahgal, Editor, Sanctuary Asia
It was not a very dramatic 'event', but it convinced me that our courage was the tigers' greatest asset. Billy had come to Kolkata to attend a public meeting at the National Museum and there he met my father, Lal Chand Sahgal, who was even older than Billy. He told my father, "It's going to be time for us to go. I only hope that the next lot (he pointed at me!) have the guts to stand up to the crooks and rogues who will give reason after reason for wanting the tiger's forest for themselves." Billy exemplified courage. He was willing to fight both friend and foe in defence of the tiger. I will too. Billy Arjan Singh has been a hero for all those interested in protecting wild India. Even after his death he remains India's tiger conscience-keeper. When he was alive, he forced political leaders to acknowledge that the tiger had a right to life too and told them that future generations would never forgive India's leaders if they allowed the tiger to go extinct.
Belinda Wright, Founder and Executive Director Wildlife Protection
Society of India. In 1971, she and her mother Anne Wright offered
a male leopard cub to Billy Arjan Singh who became his favourite,
Prince
I first met Billy nearly 50 years ago, as a young girl. We've been soul mates since then. We met frequently over the decades. When I last met him in Delhi, he may have been frail but he never lost his sense of humour. Yes, he was grumpy about losing his physical prowess. See, Billy was very proud of his physique. At Tiger Haven, the first sound at dawn that one would hear was that of Billy lifting weights. He was a complete charmer with the women. The important thing is that he inspired a number of people to respect wildlife. After Jim Corbett, he comes closest for his honest, prolific writing on this subject. Clearly, his works have impacted thousands, particularly in India. After all, his was an Indian story, about his family and his beloved pets. He wrote from the heart and never gave up his cause. He was always at it, typing out letters to Prime Ministers, Presidents, and Chief Ministers. He constantly urged and reminded people to do the right thing for India's wildlife.
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