• About BCR
  • News
  • News @ BCR
  • Rescues
  • Issues
  • Cat Laws
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
  • Login
  • Register
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

Billy, the Indian Jim Corbett, dies in Tiger Haven

BCR by BCR
January 2, 2010
in News World
0
0
SHARES
8
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

Billy, the Indian Jim Corbett, dies in Tiger Haven

Tapas Chakraborty

You might also like

Cub Petting Shame

Rules

GoFree

Lucknow, Jan. 2: Stopping others from doing what he himself had done gave Kunwar “Billy” Arjan Singh his place in history.

The hunter turned conservationist, the “Indian Jim Corbett” who metamorphosed into the country’s “Tiger Man”, died last night at his home, Tiger Haven, near the Dudhwa National Park at the age of 92.

“Billy had been ailing for sometime, largely on account of the infirmities of old age. He passed away late last night,” a relative said.

Born into the Ahluwalia royal family of Kapurthala in 1917, Billy, like many aristocrats of his time, enjoyed hunting and by his own admission had killed seven tigers. After Independence, however, he worked to get tiger hunting banned in the country.

But his biggest and most controversial idea was that of artificial restocking the tiger population by releasing captive-bred tigers into the wild — an experiment that would prove the experts of the day wrong.

Billy planned and carried out the project from Tiger Haven, where he had settled down in 1959. It was a farm almost in the middle of a thick forest in Lakhimpur-Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, 250km from Lucknow. From here, he had almost single-handedly established the Dudhwa National Park, taking the matter up with the Indian government.

At his home, Billy shared his world with leopards — first with Prince and then with the twins, Harriet and Juliette. Eelie, a stray mongrel, walked in one day and stayed for the rest of her life.

Then came Tara, whose story is intertwined with Billy’s.

Billy had quickly spotted a flaw in India’s tiger conservation project: the wildlife reserves were too small and too far apart. That made them, in essence, isolated pockets containing a minimal number of tigers that led to unhealthy inbreeding.

His solution: refreshing dwindling wildlife stocks with zoo-born animals. This had been done with lions and cheetahs in Africa, but never with tigers.

Finding it difficult to procure cubs from Indian zoos, Billy got Tara imported from England in 1976. He wanted to find out if her natural instincts would make her revert to the wild when she became mature. Tara built up a relationship with Harriet and Eelie. After a lot of difficulty, Billy taught her to hunt — her first kill came at the late age of 17 months.

He kept her from getting too familiar with human visitors lest that hamper her in the later jungle life he planned for her. At two years, Tara was released into the forest and slipped into predator life, mating with a tiger and delivering four cubs. She had proved Billy right.

But controversy arose when it was discovered that Tara had partly Siberian genes — a fact that the UK zoo had apparently not made sufficiently clear. Billy was accused of introducing a “genetic cocktail” into the forest, polluting the Bengal tiger gene pool. He was unruffled.

In the 1990s, some tigers were spotted with the typical appearance of Siberian tigers — white complexion, pale fur, large head and wide stripes —in Dudhwa.

“His experiments with re-introducing captive-bred carnivores in the wild — especially the zoo-born tigress Tara, have no parallel in Asia,” said R.K Singh, a conservator in Lucknow.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100103/jsp/nation/story_11935538.jsp#

http://bigcatrescue.org


Tags: News World
Previous Post

Battle will be stepped up this year to save the tiger

Next Post

National Zoo staffers mourn animals who died in 2009

BCR

BCR

Big Cat Rescue is Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

Related Posts

Cub Petting Shame
Cat Laws

Cub Petting Shame

January 17, 2021
133
Be Safe Out There!
How To Start A Sanctuary

Rules

March 31, 2020
21
Big Cat Rescue does bobcat rehab and release of native, Florida bobcats.
Articles by BCR

GoFree

March 29, 2020
64
Nik Tiger being Xrayed
How To Start A Sanctuary

What is a day like at Big Cat Rescue?

June 30, 2020
12
Cougars at Big Cat Rescue
Memorials

Artemis

January 28, 2020
17
Next Post

National Zoo staffers mourn animals who died in 2009

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Shop To Save Big Cats

More From BigCatRescue

  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Big Cat Information

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Ways to Help

  • Newsletter SignUp
  • Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
  • View AMP Versioin
No Result
View All Result
  • 2018 Appeal
  • About BCR
  • About our Cookies
  • BCR in the Media
  • Big Cat Rescue Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade
  • Big Cat Times
  • Blog
  • Board of Directors
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Credentials
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Embed Link
  • GET THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT CUB PETTING
  • Global Big Cat News
  • Intern Program
  • Kids
  • Latest from Big Cat Rescue
  • Licensing
  • Map
  • Map of Big Cat Owners
  • Netflix
  • News about Big Cats
  • News Gallery
  • News@BCR
  • Our Video Series
  • PressRoom
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rescues
  • Search result
  • Series Archive – Default header
  • Shop
  • SnowLeopard
  • Social Stream
  • Staff
  • Teachers
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Terms of Use
  • Test Gravity
  • USFWS
  • Vets
  • Videos archive
  • Get Involved
    • Automatic
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer
      • AdvoCats
      • Click to Feed
      • Intern
    • Legacy
    • Roar! Speak Out for Big Cats
    • Ink
  • Finances
  • How We Started
  • Abuse Issues
    • Issues
      • Exhibitions
      • Private Ownership of Big Cats
      • Zoos
      • White Tigers
      • Circus
      • Fur
      • Trophy Hunting
      • Canned Hunting
      • Why Regulations Don’t Work
  • Our Evolution
  • Photos & Facts
  • Videos
  • Our Volunteers
  • Your Privacy
  • Donate
  • Site Map
  • Field Trips

© Copyright 2021 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Add New Playlist