'Tiger man' Valmik Thapar passes away at 73
What's the story
Valmik Thapar, a pioneering conservationist and wildlife advocate in India, died on Saturday morning at his residence in New Delhi. He was 73. Thapar had been battling cancer for some time. Born in 1952 in New Delhi to journalist father Romesh Thapar, he dedicated most of his life to studying and protecting wild tigers, especially at Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park.
Conservation legacy
Thapar's contributions to wildlife conservation
Thapar co-founded the Ranthambore Foundation in 1988, an NGO that focused on community-based conservation efforts. He was mentored by Fateh Singh Rathore, a key figure in India's Project Tiger initiative. Over his five-decade career, Thapar served on over 150 government panels and task forces, including the National Board for Wildlife. In 2005, he was part of the Tiger Task Force after tigers disappeared from the Sariska Tiger Reserve.
Conservation debate
Thapar's dissenting views on tiger conservation
While the Tiger Task Force report advocated human-tiger coexistence, Thapar dissented. He warned that long-term tiger survival needed certain areas to be free from human interference. "He expressed concern that the report was overly optimistic about the coexistence of tigers and humans," India TV reported a source saying. Thapar argued for keeping a minimum area in their natural form for tigers.
Literary impact
Thapar's literary and cinematic contributions
Thapar authored or edited over 30 books on wildlife, including Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent (1997) and Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. His works raised public awareness about India's biodiversity. He also produced and presented acclaimed wildlife documentaries, including the BBC's Land of the Tiger (1997). In 2024, he featured in My Tiger Family, documenting his five-decade journey with Ranthambore's tigers.
Personal life
Thapar's family and final years
Thapar was married to theater artist Sanjana Kapoor, daughter of actor Shashi Kapoor. They had a son together. He was also known for his reservations about Project Cheetah, India's initiative to reintroduce African cheetahs into the wild. Conservation biologist Neha Sinha called him "the international voice of Indian tigers for many, many years," urging people to read his influential books as a tribute. Wildlife conservationist Nirmal Ghosh remembered him as "a giant of tiger conservation."