About two decades ago, Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan made headlines for the disappearance of its tigers. The big cats succumbed to poaching and poisoning, and as a result, zero presence of tiger was reported in 2005. However, the story did not end there. The tiger reserve made a comeback and tigers now roars again in this historical forest. From zero, the tiger number has reached to more than 30 now, with two cubs born recently. This was the result of a collective effort of many foresters, and one of the key member was retired Indian Forest Service officer, Mr. Sunayan Sharma.
The officer had served in Sariska for two terms. First, in 1991-1996, and again in 2008, when tigers were reintroduced. All happened before his eyes and he has recorded these events and their background in a book titled, Sariska: The Tiger Reserve Roars Again.
In an exclusive video interview, the IFS officer turned author revealed the reasons for the decline of the tigers and the delay in reintroduction.
PAINFUL EXPERIENCE
Mr. Sharma, who is passionate about forest and wildlife, has spent more than four decades in conservation. He is still the President of Sariska Tiger Foundation. To watch the decline of Sariska was very painful for him. He told Indian Masterminds that there are a lot of factors that brought about such a situation. “Since animals don’t vote, so they don’t have any say in our world. They are never prioritized which makes their conservation a difficult task,” he said.
He also revealed that many lobbies were involved in the delay of tiger reintroduction from Ranthambore and even pushed for its rejection. Finally, in 2008, tigers were brought to Sariska. Helping the big cats adjust in this new place was a big challenge for him. The officer also highlighted how humans create the biggest hurdle in saving these majestic species, forgetting that they won’t exist without them
