The world of the tiger, the most charismatic animal in the Indian jungle, remains shrouded in mystery despite centuries of research and observation. In this book, tiger expert Valmik Thapar, who studied the big cat in Ranthambore for fifty years, provides startling insights into how tigers behave in the wild. Through closely observed portraits of tigers like Padmini, the doting mother; Genghis, the master predator; Noon, the amorous tigress; and Broken Tooth, her suitor, the author explains little understood aspects of tiger behaviour such as how they raise their young, learn how to hunt, conduct courtship rituals, and mate. Taken together, his findings bring India’s national animal to new and startling life.
About the Author
Valmik Thapar (1952–2025) spent almost fifty years serving the interests of wildlife, especially tigers. He wrote over forty books on tigers, Indian wildlife, and his African journeys. Some of his acclaimed books include Living with Tigers, Saving Wild India: A Blueprint for Change, Winged Fire: A Celebration of Indian Birds, Wild Fire: The Splendours of India’s Animal Kingdom, and Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tiger in India. He presented wildlife-related programmes on BBC and several other television networks. He served the Indian Board for Wildlife (now replaced by the National Board for Wildlife), and the Central Empowered Committee. He was also appointed to the Tiger Task Force in 2006–07.
Thapar created the Ranthambore Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to conserving wildlife. He won the NDTV Indian of the Year Award in 2016, and Sanctuary Nature Foundation’s Lifetime Service Award in 2017.