Living with Tigers

by Valmik Thapar

Valmik Thapar first went to Ranthambhore, in 1976, at the age of twenty-three. He was a city boy, unsure of what lay ahead. When he entered the forest, which would go on to become one of the last strongholds of wild tigers, it had a profound effect on him, changing his life forever.

For the next forty years, he studied nearly 200 Ranthambhore tigers, spending every waking moment in close proximity to these magnificent animals. Of the various tigers he observed a handful became extra special, and it is these which come to glorious life in this book. They include Padmini, the Queen Mother, the first tiger the author got to know well; Genghis, the master predator, who invented a way of killing prey in water, the first time this had been observed anywhere in the world; Noon, one of his all-time favourites, who received her name because she was most active in the middle of the day; Broken Tooth, an exceptionally gentle male; Laxmi, a devoted mother, whose methods of raising her cubs revolutionized tiger studies; Machli, the most famous tigress in Ranthambhore, and several more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Wildlife, Animals

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2016

About the author

Valmik Thapar was an Indian naturalist, conservationist and writer. He was the author of 14 books and several articles, and was the producer of a range of programmes for television. He was one of India's most respected wildlife experts and conservationists, having produced and narrated documentaries on India's natural habitat for such media as the BBC, Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic.

Reviews

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valmik Thapar, in Living with Tigers, chronicles his most memorable encounters with tigers in the Ranthambore forest reserve. The book delves into tiger behavior while also exploring how humans can coexist with nature. Drawing from his extensive experience in wildlife conservation, Thapar profiles various tigers he has observed over the years, offering fascinating insights into their lives.

Beyond these personal accounts, the book also critiques the government's failures in effectively protecting tigers within India's national parks. Thapar argues that human intervention often disrupts the natural order, exacerbating conflicts between tigers and people rather than resolving them.

One of the most striking stories in the book is about a tiger that turned into a man-eater due to constant human interference, including misguided attempts to tranquilize and "fix" its behavior. This cautionary tale underscores Thapar’s belief that it is best to let nature take its course rather than imposing artificial solutions.

Throughout the book, Thapar frequently highlights government incompetence in environmental protection, making a strong case for more thoughtful and effective conservation efforts.

[Saisudha Acharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded Living with Tigers on my Kindle without really knowing too much about Valmik Thapar (beyond him being this rather large fellow who occasionally came on the news to talk about tiger conservation). What I really was craving was a Jim Corbett kind of book where the forests come alive and I can escape irritating sounds of a suburban afternoon (honking, the bai dealing with her personal demons by clanging vessels super-loudly, some toddler throwing a tantrum and a shrill woman on a phone, that kind of thing). This book was such a gem of a find. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the tigers that Thapar observed and, dare I say, developed an attachment towards. Much like I personify my dog and talk about him like he was a much loved member of our family with his own idiosyncrasies that I love, Thapar makes you really fall in love with these large and mysterious cats. And if I was somewhat indifferent towards tigers before, I now feel much more strongly about them. So, if these books were part of his plan to make more people aware of how important tigers are, then I think it is very successful. But even more than that, it is a genuinely good read for anyone who likes to read about the forests and animals.

[Karan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aditya "Dicky" Singh, an ex-IAS officer who left civil services to become a wildlife photographer, got me interested in tigers, especially tigers from Ranthambore. Intense googling and tracking of tiger related data available on Ranthambore led me to this name 'Valmik Thapar'.

Valmik Thapar and Fateh Singh Rathore (or Fateh Singh Ranthambore -- as then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi used to call him) are the two names everyone who is even slightly interested in nature or wildlife in India should remember for making what Ranthambore is today.

This book is about the first tigers that roamed in Ranthambore after project tiger was launched covering all the way upto 2015. And Mr. Thapar has written it in such a way that makes you feel respect for these beautiful animal.

Also, it could feel a bit repetitive to people who aren't really aware about nature of tigers.

I'll add further updates here:

T24 or Ustaad is no more (2023). Was sent to live in Udaipur Zoo after he killed 4 men.

Machli's daughter T19 or Krishna had a daughter called Arrowhead (T84) who also had two daughters called Riddhi (T124) and Siddhi (T125). and just a while ago (Jan 2023) Riddhi was spotted carrying a cub.

/to be updated

Valmik Thapar is no more. May his soul rest in peace.

[Hitesh Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speechless....

Beautiful description of all the interaction with tigers and wild animals of Ranthambore. I can almost visualise it and feel how lucky valmik sir has been. No one can explain tigers and Ranthambore better than him.

[Pascal Dsouza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Thapar is such a magician with words. Each and every part in the book made me feel like I was part of the journey with him. Be it the ride to the forest or the leisurely evening chai at the fort.
I personally have visited Ranthambore and that was 4 years ago, so reading his book made me miss the Forest even more.

[Vinay · Rating 5 out of 5]

U can't stop urself from falling in love with tigers and nature.... Worth every damn page of the book

[Delson Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book, with amazing tiger stories. I felt like I was in Ranthambore witnessing the narratives of Valmiki. The story of Ustad is clarified. A must-read for all wildlife lovers.

[Roma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Living with Tigers

Author: Valmik Thapar

Length: 240 pages

Publisher: Aleph Book company

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, national geographical

My rating: 5/5

Summary:

The book is a compilation of favourite Tigers of the author from Ranthambore (Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, India).

My take:

This book was available on Kindle for mere Rs. 13 and I didn’t think twice before getting it in my digital library. I’ve laid my hands on a book of Tiger hunting expeditions penned by Jim Corbett which gave me adrenaline rush and was thrilling. This book is completely different from that and actually presents a different facet of Tigers.

Vikram Thapar a renowned Indian Naturalist, conservationalist and a writer who has already written 29 books has given us this brilliant book. The description of Tigers makes one fall in love with them. I have been to Ranthambore in the past and did get a glimpse of one of its Tigers along with its cubs which I remember as a pleasant experience. This book made me ponder on the aspect of Bond I witnessed between the mother and her cubs.

The family life of Tigers is brilliantly described with every sentence giving you something new to learn about this wild beast. The infamous Man-eating Tiger T24 alias Ustaad and his agony gives you pain. While I admit that when the petition was filed I secretly sided with the petitioners on letting the animal be since a wild animal would kill people. The aspect on why T24 turned to man-eating or was hostile towards human has been put forth and it’s very painful. Equally astonishing is a fact that not all Tigers are man eaters.

In a way I agree with preaching of the author that the wild animals should be let to live naturally rather than interfering which somehow harms the eco-system. The book opened my eyes in terms of bringing awareness on why all the beings are crucial to play a part in conservating nature.

I absolutely loved the book and am inspired to go and visit the magnificent animal once again in Ranthambore.

[Prabhu R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book on Tigers, one of our national assets. Valmik Thapar and Ranthambore are mostly inseparable. I've seen Valmik Thapar's documentaries on Tigers and this is his first book that I am reading. It is so incredible that he has spent 40 years of his life with tigers, which is most of his prime life. The effort he has put in to bring the awareness about the tigers and the need to preserve the natural habitat as it should be without human interference is a herculean effort and that too with the persistence after so much of tiring political interference, fiefdoms, bureaucracy. This book brings out the nature and behaviours of the majestic beasts that roam our forests, the behaviours of these tigers unknown to the wildlife researchers, enthusiasts and rest of the world. He has also described those who played the vital role in keeping the Ranthambore and its tigers alive, especially Fateh Singh Rathore (Tiger Man or the Tiger Guru) and many others. Valmik Thapar himself can be called the Tiger Man and in this book, he recollects that list of tigers that were more prominent and also the importance of stopping the human intervention in their natural course of life like providing baited food, treating sick tigers with antibiotics etc. Hope he has planted the seeds of awareness in protecting these elusive but majestic animals and their habitat, that this awareness spreads in the days to come.

[Parikhit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am fascinated by the feline family and especially the tiger and with that very fascination I was hunting for books to read on tigers and came across Valmik Thapar's 'Living with Tigers', recommended by many as a must read.

Here the author talks about some of his favourite tigers over the years and sheds light into some interesting details about tigers-how a male tiger actually helps in protecting his cubs and also plays a vital role, contrary to what we know of; the motherliness of female tigers which only stems the belief of the strength and perseverance of motherhood; the ability of tigers to recognise some humans! They made a very interesting read.

The author ends with letting Nature be and stressing how each one of us is important in helping conserve wildlife-a fact I wholeheartedly agree with. I also must stress that the book has some beautiful sketches!

[Sameer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no prior knowledge of the author or his work. I picked this book as it was offered in 'prime' reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mr. Thapar spent 40+ years observing tigers in their natural habitat. With such an experience, he laid bare all secrets of tigers in this. For someone like me whose knowledge of tigers is almost nil and who has seen tigers only on 'Save Tiger' billboards, each detail was fascinating. With each chapter dedicated to a tiger/tigress, Mr. Thapar brought them to life in these pages with his love. I'll cherish lives of Genghis, Noon, Laxmi, Broken tooth and other tigers' for quite some time. Anyone with a remote interest in wildlife would find this enjoyable.

[Vikas Suresh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valmik Thapar needs no introduction for wildlife enthusiasts, as a kid I was used to watching his documentaries on NGC or Discovery channels. Some of the tigers in this book also appear in few of the documentaries. All in all it’s a pleasant read into the life of tiger and appreciation of Valmik Thapar’s life work.

If you like big cats, appreciate nature and reading what are you waiting for? Pick up this book it wouldn’t disappoint you. Happy reading!

[Makarand Gosavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always in awe of Ranthambore & its tigers. RT Tigers are most famous and known worldwide!!!One of the reason may be the RTR being the Dray Forest. Anyhow, the RT tigers are more studied and letting the Avid Naturalist into their lives. The experiences of Tiger Encounters/studies are nicely recorded & take the reader to Ranthambore Drive. Excellent Book!!!!

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book. Mr.Thapar takes you inside Ranthampore and makes the whole forest come alive in front of you. You could feel the tigers walking around, the birds chirping and the wonderful place sucks you inside.

[Ankita Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was my first read in this direction. I found rhe author's description of the individual stories and lives of tigers and his connect with them extraordinary. Definitely want to visit Ranthambore after this.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

💖

[Gitanjali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. Totally engrossing.

This is a very good book. Worth reading. Simple and informative about tigers of India. I liked it very much.

[Siddharth Malik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read

Great book. Loved the encounters. Loved the secret lives of tigers. Would recommend it to tiger lovers around me, would visit r'bore again now after reading the book.

[Ramakant G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good study of individual tigers

Most contemporary tiger books I have read. Visited Ranthambore in 2014. Could correlate the places mentioned die to my visit

[Sanjay Banerjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great book relating his Tiger stories from Valmik (his 30th book on Tiger)!

[Manjesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light read which provides a glimpse of the lives of tigers in Ranthambore. Inclusion of photos the author mentions he has taken, would have made the book more interesting.

[Krishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome especially for those who love wildcats.

[Keyur Shiroya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good

[Yasodhara Das · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learning about another person's purpose in life is always a delight. This book was not only a delight but a glimpse of how much one's purpose driven life can inspire, connect and move.

[Atrishi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I feel, no, I'm reminded that people take nature for granted. Then I read this book and find that there are people on the other side of the spectrum. People like the author. Can you imagine spending 40 years in a forest with nothing but the desire to be close with wild tigers. I really appreciated this book. This book is not the most well-written of books and the author is not the most sophisticated of writers. But that does not hinder with how much you can learn from this book. About the author's most favorite tigers in Ranthambore, tiger biology and the interactions between tigers and people.