The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : How to conserve wildlife scientifically

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 16, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

How to conserve wildlife scientifically

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: A scientific spin to the work he does comes naturally to Ullas Karanth, son of the late Shivaram Karanth.

Ullas Karanth, who is an engineer-turned-conservationist, has just writing a book, "A view from the Machan", which gives scientific explanations on how to conserve wildlife reserves in general and tigers in particular. In a talk on his book that was released on Friday, Mr. Karanth, a Senior Conservation Scientist with the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, said, "I am not a writer and this is not a book written in a story format.

"I have placed my experience and my thoughts about conservation of wildlife.... more so of tigers, with the help of illustrations. It does not make an easy reading... I have given scientific reasons for saving tigers."

Mr. Karanth said it was his father's unconventional way of teaching that kindled his interest in wildlife.

"While on a walk, my father used to read books of Jim Corbett and Kenneth Anderson," he said and added "formal schooling is taking people away from fascination of animals." He also praised former forest officers such as Shyam Sundar, and K.M. Chinappa, who, he said, inspired him and had taught him all about conservation.

Mr. Karanth, who has been involved in the Tiger census, said unlike other sanctuaries the tigers in the Nagarahole National Park have not disappeared.

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