Gaurav Shirodkar

Another outstanding volume from Bittu Sahgal's Sanctuary collection. This deals with the turn-around of tadoba and its neighbouring wildlife tracts in eastern Maharashtra. Apart from stunning visuals of the intimate lives of the tigers and their co-occupants of this central Indian natural landscape, the book has detailed accounts of the actual conservation processes, covering the ecological restoration, the ground effort in patrolling and poaching control, management of tourism and its potential pitfalls, the role of the community, research and information, the economic-social-political dimensions, and much else, all from the front-line actors themselves. Especially relevant is the chapter by Praveen Pardeshi, the IAS officer who spearheaded the administrative and political measures to cover a larger extent of the landscape under mantle of wildlife conservation. Another absorbing account is that by Roheet Karoo on the regeneration of the Umred-Karhandla tract and its resurgence as an alternate home for the increasing tiger spill-over from established sanctuaries, especially significant as it shows the way for other states and areas as well. The whole set of Inheritance volumes is a must-have for any wildlife conservation enthusiast.… (mer)