Bengal Tiger Research Articles

Tigers at higher elevations outside their range: What does it mean for conservation?

Nepal’s population of endangered Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris) is on the rise. In recent years, the presence of tigers has been documented at higher elevations. The objective of this study is to explore the possible reasons for the tigers’ presence at the higher elevations. It is critical that these high-altitude habitats for tigers be further explored and protected. The study points out the importance of the Mahabharat range and a longitudinal conservation gradient approach in Nepal. Apart from this, it is imperative to assess the density of tigers and tiger prey in the area. Even though high-altitude ecology may be suitable for tiger growth, the formulation of a high-altitude tiger conservation action plan with effective coordination between stakeholder organizations and concerned departments is of great importance.

Philopatric and natal dispersal of tigers in a semi-arid habitat, western India

The connectivity between landscapes is an important aspect of the conservation of small and isolated populations of carnivores. We studied the natal dispersal pattern of Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) using motion-sensitive cameras and intensive searches from April 2005 to June 2011 in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR), western India. We tracked 29 tiger cubs (18 males, 11 females) born during the study until they established independent territories. All the females and 72.2% of the males attained maturity. The males had a greater probability (92.3%) of dispersal compared with the females (36.4%). Males dispersed an average distance of 27.0 ± 12.7 (SE) km (range = 4.5–148 km), while females dispersed an average distance of 5.7 ± 3.03 km (range = 4.6–25.8 km) from their natal area to establish their independent territories. The average age of dispersal was 38.6 ± 2.6 months (range = 24–44 months) for the males and 27.7 ± 2.7 months (range = 25–33 months) for the females. Seven of the 11 females bred at >48 months’ age, after establishing independent territories. Of the other females, three were translocated to another protected area, and one died after the dispersal. This study adds to the baseline information about the dispersal patterns of tigers, which is important in making conservation and management decisions for restoration of tiger populations.

Making a Tiger's Day: Free-Operant Assessment and Environmental Enrichment to Improve the Daily Lives of Captive Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris).

There are more captive tigers in the United States than there are wild tigers in the entire world. Many animals under human care engage in problem behaviors such as excessive grooming and aggression, although the origin of these behaviors is typically unknown. Environmental enrichment may mitigate these issues in captive animals of all kinds. In order to individualize enrichment experiences, the current study used a free-operant assessment procedure to establish a menu of most preferred play items and scents among 7 Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) housed at a sanctuary in southwest Missouri. Each tiger was tested 3 times with scents (cinnamon and Calvin Klein Obsession perfume) and play items (boxes, balls, leaves, and pumpkins). The importance of rigorous assessment of presumed reinforcers among captive wild animals, as well as the difficulty of effectively assessing tigers while ensuring the safety of both the participants and researchers, is discussed.

A spatial capture–recapture model with attractions between individuals

AbstractOver the past two decades there have been many advancements in modeling capture–recapture (CR) data to account for emerging data collection technology and techniques. Spatial capture–recapture (SCR) models have been introduced to estimate population size and numerous other demographic parameters from spatially explicit CR data. Recently SCR models have also begun incorporating realistic animal movement to account for individual dispersion and attraction to resources. While some species of animals are known to exhibit attractive behavior, nearly all SCR models assume complete independence among individual's movement and capture probability. In this article, we introduce an SCR model which allows for attractions between individuals via their daily location. We demonstrate via a simulation study that accounting for the attractions specified by our model, when present, can improve population size estimation. In addition, we apply our model to an iconic SCR dataset to estimate the population size and attraction parameters of a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) population.

Opportunistic parasites associated mortality in a nutritionally compromised young wild Bengal tiger

Present communication deals with unusual observations made during the post mortem examination of a subadult wild tiger from the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve of Uttar Pradesh (India). Physical examination revealed hide bound condition, dull appearance of body coat, old healed fracture of right radius and septic wound in right forelimb apart from a spine of porcupine piercing the nasal septum causing nose bleeding. Organ-wise inspection revealed presence of Dirofilaria immitis adult worms (n=3) in the right ventricle of the heart, Physaloptera sp. in the stomach, Toxocara cati, Ancylostoma sp., Taenia sp. and Spirometra sp. in the small intestine. Examination of intestinal content revealed eggs of Paragonimus sp. and Trichuris sp. along with large number of Isospora sp. oocysts apart from eggs of Toxocara, Ancylostoma, Taenia and Spirometra. The intensity of worms recovered (parasitic load) from the tiger in the present case was found to be surprising in the sense that despite of specific micro-environment requirement of each parasitic species, host allowed buildup of severe infection of almost all the parasitic genera. This situation might have arisen due to compromised immune status of the tiger due to prolonged starvation because of difficulty in catching the prey. All these parasites are present in the tiger reserve and pose a threat to this priceless animal species, especially if the host is immunocompromised.

Population density and habitat use of two sympatric small cats in a central Indian reserve.

Despite appreciable advances in carnivore ecology, studies on small cats remain limited with carnivore research in India being skewed towards large cats. Small cats are more specialized than their larger cousins in terms of resource selection. Studies on small cat population and habitat preference are critical to evaluate their status to ensure better management and conservation. We estimated abundance of two widespread small cats, the jungle cat, and the rusty-spotted cat, and investigated their habitat associations based on camera trap captures from a central Indian tiger reserve. We predicted fine-scale habitat segregation between these sympatric species as a driver of coexistence. We used an extension of the spatial count model in a Bayesian framework approach to estimate the population density of jungle cat and rusty-spotted cat and used generalized linear models to explore their habitat associations. Densities of rusty-spotted cat and jungle cat were estimated as 6.67 (95% CI 4.07–10.74) and 4.01 (95% CI 2.65–6.12) individuals/100 km2 respectively. Forest cover and evapotranspiration were positively associated with rusty-spotted cat occurrence whereas both factors had a significant negative relation with jungle cat occurrence. The results directed habitat segregation between these small cats with affinities of rusty-spotted cat and jungle cat towards well-forested and open scrubland areas respectively. Our estimates highlight the widespread applicability of this model for density estimation of species with no individual identification. Moreover, the study outcomes can aid in targeted management decisions and serve as the baseline for species conservation as these models allow robust population estimation of elusive species along with predicting their habitat preferences.

Occurrence of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in Bengal Tiger and African Lion of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, Gazipur, Dhaka

Forty-two fresh fecal samples from the Bengal tigers (n=30) and African lions (n=12) were collected during March 2018 to July 2018 from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park, Gazipur, Dhaka. The fecal samples were processed using formol-ether concentration technique. A total of six types of parasites (egg/ cyst) were observed viz.; one protozoan (Coccidia spp.), two cestodes (Hymenolepis spp., and Diphyllobothrium spp.) and three nematodes (Ascaris spp., Toxocara spp. and hookworms). No trematodes were found during the study. Occurrence of gastrointestinal (hereafter GI) parasites recorded in tigers was 90% (n=27/30) and lions was 100% (n=12/12). The highest prevalence was of Coccidia spp. (85.71%) followed by Diphyllobothrium spp. (42.86%), Hymenolepis spp. (28.57%), Ascaris spp. (21.43%), Toxocara spp. (14.29%) and hookworms (14.29%). The prevalence of protozoans (85.71%) was higher than that of helminths (78.57%) in the hosts. On the basis of intensity of parasites, male carnivores were more susceptible to infection than females. The intensity of infection was higher in young ones as compared to adults.
 Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2020, 5 (1), 27-32

Development of an environmental enrichment programme: case study of white Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris bengalensis) and jaguar (Panthera onca) at Moscow Zoo

Zoos are urged to implement enrichment programmes that include constant feedback to increase efficacy. However, such work is time consuming for zookeepers. The goal of this case study was to establish an enrichment programme in Moscow Zoo that could be used by keepers with minimal effort. In this brief study, an enrichment programme was established for one female white Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris bengalensis) and one female jaguar (Panthera onca). Observations were recorded from February through March 2015. The effects of three enrichment regimes were evaluated: Baseline (routine husbandry: familiar or novel items once or twice a week) compared with two novel intensive regimes: Regime 1 (enrichment provided every day) and Regime 2 (enrichment provided every other day). Two simple methods were used to evaluate the effects of regimes: the “multi-point scan” method where animals’ behaviour was recorded 6 times a day by the keepers as they passed the exhibits during their working day, and “SPIDER indirect scales”. It was found that the use of both methods for documenting behaviour improved the accuracy of evaluations. During Regimes 1 and 2, behaviour directed at enrichment increased for the tiger and jaguar, but changes in general activity were identified only for the tiger. Consequently, the keepers were able to develop an enrichment programme, including the collection of objective empirical data in a time-efficient manner. It is therefore proposed that zoological institutions use enrichment programmes that integrate both “SPI” and “DER” steps into daily work.

Camera-trap surveys reveal high diversity of mammals and pheasants in Medog, Tibet

AbstractMedog County lies within the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, but biodiversity in the region remains largely unexplored as there was no permanent road access until 2014. Here we present data from camera-trap surveys in five areas of Medog County, to ascertain the occurrence and occupancy of threatened wildlife species. With a total survey effort of 4,570 trap days we detected 23 medium and large terrestrial mammal species and six pheasant species, 13 of which are categorized as Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List and 19 of which are categorized as regionally threatened on the China Species Red List. Carnivora was the most diverse order, with 15 species recorded. Our study produced the first camera-trap photographic evidence of the Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris in China. In addition, we detected the dhole Cuon alpinus, golden cat Catopuma temminckii, marbled cat Pardofelis marmorata and mainland clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa, highlighting the conservation value of the region. The occupancy of muntjac Muntiacus spp. was high (52.7%), indicating prey for large carnivores was abundant. People, livestock and domestic dogs were also recorded frequently, suggesting the fauna are potentially threatened by human disturbance. In the light of recent development in the region, conservation efforts are urgently required, to prevent prey depletion and habitat degradation in this priority region for conservation.

Guarding the guardians: understanding the psychological well-being of forest guards in Indian tiger reserves

ABSTRACT Working on the interface between wildlife and communities, forests guards in Indian tiger reserves are responsible not only for the protection of forests, but also for implementing development initiatives in forest villages. Their job profile entails living in isolated environments with multiple threats to their safety, and relatively little data is available about their psychological well-being. This paper presents findings from a study of forest guards’ experience with their work environment, work satisfaction and psychological well-being. A randomized sample of 242 forest guards from six tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh, India, responded to questionnaires measuring employee satisfaction and motivation, and completed implicit association tests. The machine learning algorithms and mean comparisons that were carried out suggest that workers from Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Panna Tiger Reserves form a group who have high association with their work indicative of high performance but low work satisfaction and well-being. Whereas workers from Pench, Satpura and Sanjay-Dubri Reserves form another group whose members have high employee engagement along with high work satisfaction and well-being but low association with work. Machine learning-based classification and regression tree (CART) analysis suggested that feedback, task identity, skill variety and organizational commitment are some of the important factors affecting work motivation.

Sustainable Marketing: A Marketing Revolution or A Research Fad

This paper aims to demonstrate that while marketing and sustainability might seem to be as different as "A Polar Bear and A Bengal Tiger", there is growing evidence that the two disciplines have something to offer each other and the universe. With a view toward gaining this synergy, this research proposes that a lasting sustainability marketing as an academic discipline and managerial practice must aim deliberately and thoroughly to reassure itself as an outstanding potential for a marketing revolution and distance itself away from the danger of ending up as a quick-shot research fad. Conclusively, a sustainability marketing revolution can be sparkled and kept alive and a sustainability marketing research fad can be avoided and reversed through a number of highly recommended visible venues of marketing research and managerial pursuits.

Histomorphological differentiation of the skin of leopard (Panthera pardus), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris), and golden jackal (Canis aureus).

Background and Aim:Leopard (Panthera pardus), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris), and golden jackal (Canis aureus) are carnivores. Leopard and Bengal tiger are listed in the red list as vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources. Leopard cat and golden jackal are grouped under animals of least concern. A wide variation exists in the structure of the skin and pattern of hair follicles among domestic and wild mammals. Thus, the study aims to create a baseline data on the skin of leopard, leopard cat, Bengal tiger, and golden jackal and the data so obtained may form an indispensable tool in wildlife forensics.Materials and Methods:Skin samples of leopard (n=3), leopard cat (n=4), Bengal tiger (n=3), and golden jackal (n=4) were collected from the Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode. The samples were processed for paraffin embedding. Horizontal and vertical sections of 5 µm thickness were used for histological staining techniques. Observations on the layers and features of epidermis, hair follicle pattern and glands, namely, sweat and sebaceous were recorded.Results:Skin comprised an outer epidermis and an inner dermis. Keratinized stratified squamous epithelium made up the epidermis. Stratum basale, stratum spinosum, stratum granulosum, and stratum corneum were discernible in leopard, Bengal tiger, and golden jackal. In leopard cat, stratum basale, stratum spinosum, and stratum corneum were present. Compound hair follicles were a characteristic feature of all species. However, the pattern varied. In leopard, leopard cat and Bengal tiger, a single large primary guard hair was encircled by compound follicles. The number of surrounding compound follicles ranged between five to seven in leopard, two to five in leopard cat, and three to seven in Bengal tiger. Each compound follicle, in turn contained, one to two coarse primary hair follicles and several fine secondary hair follicles. Compound follicles arranged as clusters of three were a salient attribute in jackal. The central follicle was comparatively larger than the lateral ones. Each compound follicle comprised a single long, primary hair, and six to eight smaller secondary hairs.Conclusion:Histological variation in the skin of the leopard, leopard cat, Bengal tiger, and golden jackal was established. The data form a valuable basis for comparative histology of wild carnivores. Further, the data may be of value in the identification of the unknown skin samples of wild carnivores.

‘The Cause of Humanity’ and Other Stories by Rudyard Kipling

 Reviews tends to occlude what is most surprising in Stanley’s formulation of ‘structured spontaneity’ (p. ). Where one would expect such a phrase to imply the giving of form and unity to disparately encountered elements, Stanley instead suggests that disparateness and change emerge from practice, discipline, and order. In other words, spontaneity is not first and the structuring of it second, but rather the other way round. Rather than pursuing this distinction, the book’s frequent conflation of two differing models can sometimes overshadow the power of its theoretical implications. e book’s most interesting moments occur when Emerson’s practices of surprise are not simply replicated in his modernist inheritors, but are developed or tested against certain limits. A strong example of the first occurs when surprise emerges as the dividing line between Baudelaire’s artist (someone who embraces the permeability of being surprised) and Baudelaire’s dandy (someone who is stoic but embraces surprising others). In the book’s third chapter, Stanley persuasively tests Emersonian philosophy against the deterministic forces of race and gender in Nella Larsen’s Quicksand. In the reading offered, Quicksand’s stock ending is startling to readers precisely because the book ‘has reconditioned its readers to expect a resilient open-endedness that typical novelistic closure betrays’ (p. ). When Helga’s impressionability and receptiveness to flux falter in Larsen’s rapid- fire ending, the reader is also unable to negotiate the sudden constraints of the novel’s form with a practice of more general openness. If Practices of Surprise reminds us of literature’s power to renew our view of the world via surprise, to transform the mundane into the profound and the ordinary into the extraordinary, it also does the more ambitious work of attempting to read modernism pragmatically by way of Emerson’s proto-modernism. Behind individual practices of surprise is a tale about the tradition of creative reading and the significance of pedagogy in American and transatlantic letters. P U J S ‘e Cause of Humanity’ and Other Stories. By R K. Ed. by T P. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. . xxi+ pp. £.. ISBN ––––. is collection of discarded or suppressed writings by Kipling further extends the editorial work of omas Pinney, editor of Kipling’s Letters, in six volumes (London : Macmillan, –), and of Kipling’s Poems, in three volumes (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ; reviewed in MLR,  (), –). Among the new items in this book is an effective piece called ‘De Profundis (A Study in a Sick Room)’. e narrator has pulled out of social engagements with a ‘Mrs Lollipop’ and with ‘the Colonel’s wife’ because he has a fever. His ‘Bearer’ (personal servant) takes advantage of his young master’s illness to take the evening off. ‘ere will be an evening party in the servants’ quarters tonight’ while the ‘Sahib’ is trapped and helpless: ‘the fever has you bound hand and foot for the night; and your voice, even at its most powerful pitch, will be far too weak an hour hence to MLR, .,   disturb the revellers in the serai’ (p. ). Feverish insomnia leads to hallucinations. A train crosses a blazing hot landscape directly towards the stricken man, and from it leaps ‘a royal Bengal tiger with yellow eye balls and opened jaws’ (p. ). e hallucinations are a product of the quinine that he has taken, but they are experienced as a ‘very real Hell’ (p. ). e sleeplessness is relentless, and the second phase of the hallucinations is a nightmare about professional disgrace: ‘You have embezzled money, taken bribes, sold appointments, betrayed your friend, and the judgement for these acts is even now at hand’ (p. ). e helplessness of the insomniac appears in a second, equally strong narrative about insomnia called ‘Till the Day Break’, where the cruel elusiveness of sleep is tested by trying to empty the mind or to count sheep while tormented by the fear of being bitten by a snake. In such a case, ‘[i]t would be amusing for the punkah-coolie to hear a Sahib bellowing and to know that the Sahib could do nothing, and so to fan that Sahib from this world to the next’ (p. ). In their evocations of...

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT UNDER ENCROACHMENT AREA OF SARISKA TIGER RESERVE: A FUTURE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Wild tigers experience unparalleled coercion due to habitat destruction, prey reduction and commercial poaching. The Indian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) one of the world's most endangered carnivore species, and is now thought to be in the verge of extinction in the wild. Sariska National Park in India is considered to be a highly suitable habitat for the tigers. Relocation and change in habitat of these living giant creatures is a thought of study for their survival and existence in the coming future considering change in climatic conditions. But the main problem for the tigers in the new habitat will be poaching and the human-wildlife conflicts. Integrated geospatial techniques provide accurate, cost-effective as well as time-effective method for habitat evaluation. The aim of the study is current status followed by opportunities and challenges. The results point out a large and comprehensive research on each of these issues, in particular on the community involvement in wildlife management and government policies.

A Second Wave of Forest—Settlement Territorialization: A case study from the Indian Sundarbans

Sundarbans attracts worldwide attention for being the largest single block halophytic mangrove forest and for Royal Bengal Tiger. Along with ecological conservation, recent scholarly works demonstrate the importance of mangrove preservation for withstanding climate change-induced natural calamities. These conservation programs following the trend of the West separate human settlements from the forest and restrict human access to forest for maintaining wilderness; this I mark as the first wave of territorialization. Based on a case study of one of the village islands in Sundarbans, adjacent to the core forest, I illustrate how in this dynamic delta the recent changes in the islanders' outlook toward life and livelihoods, as induced by the first wave of territorialization, leading them to embrace a second wave of territorialization and to what extent that is impacting the sustainability of human settlements in this dynamic delta. It also elaborates as soon as islanders’ living practice turns into livelihoods, they become reluctant to take up those traditional livelihoods as being perceived ‘risky,’ ‘painful,’ ‘uncertain,’ and ‘destructive for Sundarbans.’ The villagers' intention to find a better and more respected livelihood directs them toward the city and leads them to normalize and in turn concretize the already-imposed forest—settlement territorial division. This concretization of the boundary is termed here as the second wave of territorialization. I posit the upshot of this is a double layer of distancing, which is detrimental to the longterm sustainability of nature—human relationship in this dynamic delta. In a nutshell, this article argues that the inherent understanding about this liminal landscape that these islanders gather while engaging with traditional livelihoods are crucial to combat the massive climate change-induced alterations that this delta is going to witness in the near future. Therefore, this disengagement is not only devastating for the ecology of the Sundarbans; it is going to be even more threatening to the human settlements of this area.

Notes on the discovery and ecology of the invasive armoured catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991) and the exotic cichlid Amphilophus trimaculatus (Gunther, 1867) from Southern West Bengal, India

This paper documents the first occurrence of the exotic, highly invasive, South American armoured sucker mouth catfish Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991) from the brackish waters of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India and the Central American cichlid Amphilophus trimaculatus (Gunther, 1867) from Southern Bengal, India. Notes on the possible threats due to invasion, sources of introduction, extent of spread and management of these and other invasive species are discussed in the paper.

Anatomic Study of the Elbow Joint in a Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Gross Dissections.

Simple SummaryWe present a report describing the normal elbow joint anatomy in a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and gross dissections of this region. Anatomical findings detected using MRI of the different bony and soft tissues were evaluated according to the characteristics of signal intensity and compared with the corresponding gross anatomical dissections. The main anatomical structures were labelled and identified. This study provides a valuable resource for veterinarians, biologists, and researchers involved in Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) conservation.The objective of our research was to describe the normal appearance of the bony and soft tissue structures of the elbow joint in a cadaver of a male mature Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) scanned via MRI. Using a 0.2 Tesla magnet, Spin-echo (SE) T1-weighting, and Gradient-echo short tau inversion recovery (GE-STIR), T2-weighting pulse sequences were selected to generate sagittal, transverse, and dorsal planes. In addition, gross dissections of the forelimb and its elbow joint were made. On anatomic dissections, all bony, articular, and muscular structures could be identified. The MRI images allowed us to observe the bony and many soft tissues of the tiger elbow joint. The SE T1-weighted MR images provided good anatomic detail of this joint, whereas the GE-STIR T2-weighted MR pulse sequence was best for synovial cavities. Detailed information is provided that may be used as initial anatomic reference for interpretation of MR images of the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) elbow joint and in the diagnosis of disorders of this region.

Comparative analysis of corrected tiger genome provides clues to its neuronal evolution

The availability of completed and draft genome assemblies of tiger, leopard, and other felids provides an opportunity to gain comparative insights on their unique evolutionary adaptations. However, genome-wide comparative analyses are susceptible to errors in genome sequences and thus require accurate genome assemblies for reliable evolutionary insights. In this study, while analyzing the tiger genome, we found almost one million erroneous substitutions in the coding and non-coding region of the genome affecting 4,472 genes, hence, biasing the current understanding of tiger evolution. Moreover, these errors produced several misleading observations in previous studies. Thus, to gain insights into the tiger evolution, we corrected the erroneous bases in the genome assembly and gene set of tiger using ‘SeqBug’ approach developed in this study. We sequenced the first Bengal tiger genome and transcriptome from India to validate these corrections. A comprehensive evolutionary analysis was performed using 10,920 orthologs from nine mammalian species including the corrected gene sets of tiger and leopard and using five different methods at three hierarchical levels, i.e. felids, Panthera, and tiger. The unique genetic changes in tiger revealed that the genes showing signatures of adaptation in tiger were enriched in development and neuronal functioning. Specifically, the genes belonging to the Notch signalling pathway, which is among the most conserved pathways involved in embryonic and neuronal development, were found to have significantly diverged in tiger in comparison to the other mammals. Our findings suggest the role of adaptive evolution in neuronal functions and development processes, which correlates well with the presence of exceptional traits such as sensory perception, strong neuro-muscular coordination, and hypercarnivorous behaviour in tiger.

To Hunt or Not to Hunt: Tiger Hunting, Conservation and Collaboration in Colonial India

As the Edwardian era came to an end in Britain and its Empire began to decline, the glorious days of tiger hunting in India were being measured against a genuine fear of the total extinction of tigers. This article maps the precarious position of Indian tigers in the hands of hunters against the rising concern over preservation of the species in the first half of the twentieth century. Ranging from the bureaucratic to the overtly sentimental and personal, these attitudes, taken together, reveal a pre-‘Project Tiger’ conservation milieu in colonial India. They help us to judge the cultural status and symbol of the Bengal tiger before it became an iconic species for wildlife conservation in postcolonial India. The various debates and representations of tigers in hunting memoirs often throw light on intricate socio-cultural problems threatening the survival of the cat. In fact, the debates, as much as they spread awareness, ended up strengthening the bureaucratic and sometimes political hold over Indian forests. The article further tracks imperial discourse on the systematization of tiger hunts, which was effectively linked with the preservation of tigers and collaboration with Indians. During the twilight of the British Empire, tiger hunt and tiger conservation would emerge as sites for possible collaboration between Indians and their rulers. As recent efforts at international collaboration to protect tigers have shown, the tiger retains enough sentimental value to secure bureaucratic and political ties between nations.

Economic Growth Rates and Exports of Bangladesh: The Bengal Tiger?

Global images of Bangladesh as a desperately poor country in need of foreign aid require revision in light of recent statistics that confirm impressive economic growth rates despite protracted political problems and climate-related risks. The article presents and discusses statistical evidence relating to recent economic growth rates of Bangladesh in terms of export, import and gross domestic product. This confirms the status of the country as a new tiger economy, moving away from its traditional dependence on agriculture. However, excessive reliance on exports of ready-made garments is found to be risky, while a more balanced growth model with a diverse basket of exports seems advisable.