Like I told you this is a debate that has gone on for ever…and its no different now and neither of us can be correct!

* Responsible Tourism…..is very intuitive and instinctive. Its just got not to do with Tourism, but encompasses all aspects of everyday LIFE. I would say it starts with a “WHAT I SHOULD DO” attitude than “WHAT I SHOULD MAKE OTHERS DO”. Making all those 30 yr / 40 yr olds drinking and eating on the roadside @ Nhole to appreciate Nature and Contribute to conservation is frustrating – not just for you but me too!!

Frustration with inaction and no concentrated effort is as good as being irresponsible and no different from many others. My view is, getting out of the car and telling them about the right things to do or picking up all the Trash infront of them is more action oriented. We both know that the outcome of this is going to be some hard stares or even some dirty comments, and they will get on drinking/eating ………but mind you the result of this effort cannot be measured only by what you have taught just those 40yr olds, but there are lessons that you would teach your co passengers and especially all your young cousins in the car or the other cars behind you about the RIGHT THINGS TO DO…today and tomorrow!

* For somebody born in COORG it never needs any inspiration to appreciate nature, but for somebody born in Bangalore who has always lived with CO2/CO spitting automobiles and enjoyed watching roads being widened by chopping trees etc.,etc., there definitely needs to be something very inspiring or even tragic..like the 8 hr power cuts in Bangalore now and the Flooding last year or may be even a Drought tomorrow?

* Parthenium got introduced only in the 1950’s, though Lantanas and Euphitoriums are much recent. The population of Tigers in the years before Partheniums were I am sure more than 1411 nos, and you will have to agree that the Partheniums and Latanas have not helped. One more piece of information is that most animals get poached (get snared) because of the regular trials they use and these trials get very easily noticed because of lack of freedom for movement in the thick Lantana undergrowth. My opinion is that thick undergrowth hides snares and traps more effectively than it hides the animals!

Undergrowth helping animals to hide is a blantant lie used by Forest department to hide their mismanagement! Pls don’t get carried away with that….

Lastly, I would like your instincts to over rule whatever other people say and just doggedly pursue what you feel. You don’t need to agree to any points and change your stance, but my advise is if you are feeling frustrated, be so VEHEMENT about it so that everybody HEARS it. I am sure we can chat over a lot of coffees and still be inconclusive!!

i’m sorry but the only part of your argument i agree with is that our wildlife/forests/tigers (the apex of our food chain) have to be preserved.

i think our fundamental cognitive orientation towards ‘how’ thought vary greatly.

* responsible wildlife tourism is very difficult to achieve. I’m sure that a very small percentage of the tourists are conscientious. for example, when i drive down home via nagarhole, i invariably see tourists parked on the forest roads eating/drinking/playing music – it’s most frustrating – and the guards stationed kilometers away do nothing to stop this. i just get an uncomfortable feeling that we are invading.

*i also don’t agree with the ‘awe’ theory – passion to conserve comes from within, with an understanding of us/nature and everything in between – the truth about where we are headed is so blatant in front of us – one doesn’t need to see the majestic tiger to want to save it.

*you talk about the undergrowth in the forests mostly consisting of parthenium/lantana/euphitorium and that they have very little value to wildlife. but the weeds that have been around for 200 odd years cannot just be gotten rid off by effectively managing the undergrowth, they cannot be cut, they need to be uprooted before they flower and spread etc etc, a tedious procedure which cannot obviously be applied to a forest – but the animals need the undergrowth as a means of protection/camouflage. also doesn’t it mean that the poachers now find it easier to spot the tigers as opposed to if they had undergrowth to hide in? i do hope the researchers can come up with a permanent solution to eradicating the obnoxious weeds and restoring native species of undergrowth sooner than later.

someone recently told me that it’s because of pet lovers that pet stores exist and flourish and these are the very places that ill treat animals… well, it shouldn’t be that animal lovers themselves pave the way for the endangerment of the natural world.

Sorry for the late response. You have bought up a issue that is being debated and has been debated in the past by many of the think tanks.

I have the following points to make

* Wildlife tourism cannot be promoted as just another form of tourism, but needs to be RESPONSIBLE WILDLIFE TOURISM. The objective being creating Awareness and Knowledge amongst tourists. Most wildlife tourism happens in a very small area called the buffer zones and the entry into the park is only for 3 hrs in the morning and 3 hrs in the evening.
* Frequent sightings of individuals is a proven method of keeping track of individuals. Forest dept. officials most often raise an alarm if some individuals are not spotted for a long time. This way you are able to monitor the poaching menace, which is most often the biggest reason for loss of Tigers.
* Tigers being at the apex of food chain, is an iconic animal whcih can inspire a lot of awe among first timers. The most important ingredient for COnservation and Preservation is Passion ( apart from Knowledge). It is this AWE among most first timers, that gets converted into PASSION, which promotes Continous Learning. I would say that the very presence of Tigers in a forest is an indication that most of the things are right with the ecosystem in that area.
* Undergrowth today in the forest is mostly non native species of plants like parthenium/lantana/euphitorium….and have very little value to the animals. Apart from being fuel for raging forest fires in summer. Effectively managed undergrowth is not just helpful for sightings but also for promoting the proliferation of natural plant species.

One example that I need to cite is that in Kabini tourists were banned from entering the forest in Monsoons. This used to be the time when the poaching activity used to get most rampant and when the tourist season reopens, most animals were found to be missing. Now the Forest dept is allowing tourist vehicles in Monsoons, as it means that there are more Eyes and Ears in the forest year round. Forest Department has now realized that WILDLIFE TOURISM can be a effective MANAGEMENT TOOL and not just REVENUE.