"The tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage and that when he is exterminated — as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support — India will be the poorer, having lost the finest of her fauna."— Jim Corbett

Long before camera traps, GPS collars and scientific monitoring, Jim Corbett issued a warning that still rings true today: if India loses its tigers, it loses a part of itself.

Every tiger roaming India's forests today is part of a conservation story that has taken decades to build.

Over the last 50 years, the country has pulled the species back from the brink through Project Tiger, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, stronger laws, scientific monitoring and the dedication of thousands of forest guards, researchers and local communities.

But today's challenge is very different.

Saving tigers is no longer only about increasing their numbers. It is about protecting the forests they call home in a country where highways, railways, expanding towns and human aspirations increasingly overlap with wildlife habitats.

This International Tiger Day, The Better India chose to move beyond census figures and policy reports to ask a more personal question:

If India's leading tiger conservationists could write one letter to a young person dreaming of protecting wildlife, what would they say?

Their answers draw on decades spent patrolling forests, working alongside local communities, combating poaching and shaping conservation efforts across the country.

Together, they remind us that saving tigers has always been about protecting people, forests and the future they share.

Dr Anish Andheria: 'Don't become an armchair conservationist'

For Dr Anish Andheria, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), India's tiger story cannot be secured by awareness campaigns alone. Awareness, he says, only matters when it leads to action.

Speaking toThe Better India, Andheria says that while conservation education has existed for years, the challenges in India's forests today demand a more informed and engaged generation. "Awareness by itself will not translate into anything unless it is put to use," he says. "Forests continue to be diverted in the name of development, defence and infrastructure. If there is hope, it lies with today's children." 

He believes young people have a greater opportunity than ever to shape conservation conversations, but warns them against relying on shortcuts. While social media has become an important tool for spreading awareness, he cautions against creating wildlife content without first understanding the science behind it.

"Wildlife is not a subject where you can depend on AI or simply generate information," he says. 

More importantly, Andheria believes conservation cannot happen from behind a screen.

"There is no point being an armchair conservationist," he says. "There is no shortcut to tiger conservation, or wildlife conservation for that matter."

Instead, he encourages young people to step outdoors. Join nature clubs. Walk through neighbourhood forests, wetlands or beaches. Observe local biodiversity before dreaming of distant tiger reserves. 

Andheria is equally clear that wildlife tourism, when done responsibly, can become an important gateway into conservation, but only if people change the way they approach it.

"I would always encourage children to visit national parks because tourism helps people connect with nature," he says. "But the narrative around tiger tourism has to change. People often think they're going only to see a tiger. Instead, they should learn about the entire ecosystem, the forests, the prey species, wildlife corridors, rivers and the communities living around these landscapes."

For him, that broader understanding is essential because the biggest threats facing tigers today go well beyond the animal itself.

"Young people entering conservation must understand issues like forest fragmentation, habitat degradation, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, and the impact these have on people living around forests," he says. "You cannot save tigers without protecting the landscapes they depend on."

"Children should grow up confident enough to tell policymakers that our natural wealth cannot keep paying the price for everything else," he says. "Our water security, our economy and our future all depend on healthy ecosystems. Ecology and economy are deeply connected."

His message to every young conservationist: "We have borrowed this planet from our children. When they, in turn, pass it on to the next generation, may they be proud to leave behind a world better than the one they inherited”.

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For Jose Louies, CEO of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), understanding India's conservation journey begins with understanding its........

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