{"id":15174,"date":"2021-07-29T14:13:32","date_gmt":"2021-07-29T13:13:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=15174"},"modified":"2024-07-29T09:20:38","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T08:20:38","slug":"a-conversation-about-conservation-protecting-indias-tigers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/a-conversation-about-conservation-protecting-indias-tigers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Conversation about Conservation: Protecting India\u2019s Tigers"},"content":{"rendered":"

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An interview with Amit Sankhala<\/h1>\n

In a world that seems dominated by harrowing news, especially when it comes to the natural world, the fact that tiger numbers are on the rise is a much-needed glimmer of hope. In India<\/a>, Amit Sankhala stands at the fore of protecting India\u2019s tigers, both as a trustee of the Tiger Trust organisation<\/a> and in overseeing three wildlife lodges in Madhya Pradesh, one of the best places to spot tigers in India<\/a>. Here, we spoke to Amit about his work and inspiring optimism in the face of one of the great conservation challenges of our time.<\/p>\n

For Amit, passion for the tiger and the environment quite literally runs through his veins. He is third in a line of eminent conservationists: his grandfather, Kailash Sankhala was known as \u2018the tiger man of India\u2019<\/a>, while his father was a pioneer in local eco-tourism. The film TIGERLAND, which was made by Academy Award-winning directors Ross Kauffman and Fisher Stevens<\/a> and premiered at Sundance festival 2019, was based on the Sankhala family and their heritage (you can watch the film on Amazon Prime or Discovery). Today, Amit works in Madhya Pradesh, a central Indian state with a significant tiger population.<\/p>\n

Despite the upturn in tiger numbers in the last few years, the species remains endangered. \u201cAt the turn of last century there were 40,000 tigers in the wild,\u201d Amit tells me. \u201cNow, there are just 4000 in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are the major threats to the tiger population today?<\/h2>\n

Despite the fact that it\u2019s illegal to kill tigers across India, poaching is a problem. Poaching occurs for reasons Amit describes as “illogical”: for bush meats, for selling skins, for the belief that tiger bones can be medicinal and even cure cancer. This is made all the more shocking by the fact that poachers have a conviction rate of just 4%.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”15203″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n