TravTalk India Online Magazine
Tiger Trust wants to involve the youth in the field of conservation by tapping schools and colleges at national and international levels. Its vision is to plan a national meet so that they can participate in policy-making decisions.
Tiger Trust was founded by Padmashri Late Kailash Sankhala, Founding Director of Project Tiger which was government of India’s principal initiator of tiger conservation, in India in 1989, to protect tigers in their natural habitat. The trust functions in a threepronged approach, namely capacity building, awareness campaigns and working with the frontline officers of forest department and tribal people in the peripheral villages including schools around the national parks.
The trust is now led by Anjana Gosain, Chief Functionary Officer, Tiger Trust. Speaking about the direction that the trust has taken, she says, “Tiger Trust has big plans for the youth in the field of conservation by involving school and college students at national and international levels. It has already received support from Clemson University, South Carolina, National Association for Tigers and several schools and colleges in India to make this dream come true. The vision is to plan a national meet that will involve the youth in policymaking decisions and to have a forum to address these issues and also travel in prominent parks together. This is planned for 2019.” Gosain is a practising advocate in the Supreme Court and High Court with specialisation in environmental law and has a standing practice of over 39 years.
The Trust’s vision is to build an effective legal infrastructure, strong network of trained and empowered forest staff that provides long-term support for wildlife conservation, especially tigers in national parks. Gosain says, “I believe that wildlife tourism and its concept has to change with the times. In view of increasing human-animal conflict, it has now become necessary to have a serious relook for granting permissions for fresh hotels, carrying capacity in the forest and educate the tourists about the behaviour and concern for the wild animals. Wildlife tourism should invoke passion and a feeling of responsibility among tourists. Hence, a well planned and a friendly approach has to be taken by the stakeholders.”
