Billy Arjan Singh, a legend of conservation in India, passed away early this month at the age of 94.
His legacy lives on: The area that is now known as Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, one of the finest national parks of India, was first protected in 1965, and declared a National Park in 1977 - thanks to his avid and virtually single-handed lobbying, and the firm conviction of a conservation-minded prime minister, the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Thanks to them Dudhwa is still home to India’s largest remaining population of the northern subspecies of the Barasingha deer (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii), a breeding tiger population, and an almost complete assemblage of large mammal species indigenous to the Gangetic Plain. Moreover, Dudhwa is a vital link in the Terai Arc Landscape, situated between Pilibhit/Kishanpur reserves and Katerniaghat Sanctuary, and still holding a tenuous linkage to the Basanta forests in Nepal.
Billy Arjan Singh, the man:
Billy Arjan Singh: Looking at Billy - the man
“Billy" Arjan Singh: End of an Era
Some of the older readers may remember Billy from the two Survival Anglia documentaries about Dudhwa and the leopardess Harriet, filmed in the 1970’s by Dieter Plage, as well as from his classic book, Tiger Haven, in which he wrote about Dudhwa, its wildlife, and the efforts to protect it and preserve it for the next generations.
I would like to conclude with a passage from his book:
‘Long, long years ago, when Rome had kings before the Republic was founded, there was a king called Tarquin. He was sitting on his throne one day when an old, old woman, wizened and shrivelled, came tottering up to him. In her hands she bore with difficulty nine great books. She said her name was Sybil.
‘She placed the books on the ground before the King and addressed him:
“O King, in these nine books will be found all the lore, the learning and the wisdom upon which your great state of Rome shall be founded. Will you buy them from me?
‘The king asked, “How much?”
‘She said, “A thousand pieces of gold.”
‘The king said, “Don’t be silly. Go away.”
She went away, leaving the books, but presently returned carrying with her some wood, flint and steel. She sat down and lit a fire, and taking three volumes, she placed them on the fire and watched them burn.
‘Then she said, “King, there are still six books. Will you buy them from me?”
‘The king said, “How much?”
‘She said, “A thousand pieces of gold.”
‘The king said, “Don’t be silly. I wouldn’t buy the nine for a thousand, and I won’t buy the six. Go away.”
‘She didn’t go away, but taking three more of the books, she placed them on the fire and watched them slowly burn to ashes.
‘Then she said, “King, there are still three books. Will you buy them?”
‘The king said, “How much?”
‘She said, “A thousand pieces of gold.”
‘The king scratched his head and said to himself, “Well, it might be true, and if they are so valuable as all that, we don’t want to see the last of them go.”
And he bought the books and in them was all the love and the learning and the wisdom on which the great state of Rome was founded.’
T. R. H. Owen, Hunting Big Game with Gun and Camera in Africa.
This fable was first applied to African wildlife but it is now even truer of Indian animals. We still have three books, but for how long?
Billy Arjan Singh, Tiger Haven, Oxford University Press, New Delhi 1973
His legacy lives on: The area that is now known as Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, one of the finest national parks of India, was first protected in 1965, and declared a National Park in 1977 - thanks to his avid and virtually single-handed lobbying, and the firm conviction of a conservation-minded prime minister, the late Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Thanks to them Dudhwa is still home to India’s largest remaining population of the northern subspecies of the Barasingha deer (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii), a breeding tiger population, and an almost complete assemblage of large mammal species indigenous to the Gangetic Plain. Moreover, Dudhwa is a vital link in the Terai Arc Landscape, situated between Pilibhit/Kishanpur reserves and Katerniaghat Sanctuary, and still holding a tenuous linkage to the Basanta forests in Nepal.
Billy Arjan Singh, the man:
Billy Arjan Singh: Looking at Billy - the man
“Billy" Arjan Singh: End of an Era
Some of the older readers may remember Billy from the two Survival Anglia documentaries about Dudhwa and the leopardess Harriet, filmed in the 1970’s by Dieter Plage, as well as from his classic book, Tiger Haven, in which he wrote about Dudhwa, its wildlife, and the efforts to protect it and preserve it for the next generations.
I would like to conclude with a passage from his book:
‘Long, long years ago, when Rome had kings before the Republic was founded, there was a king called Tarquin. He was sitting on his throne one day when an old, old woman, wizened and shrivelled, came tottering up to him. In her hands she bore with difficulty nine great books. She said her name was Sybil.
‘She placed the books on the ground before the King and addressed him:
“O King, in these nine books will be found all the lore, the learning and the wisdom upon which your great state of Rome shall be founded. Will you buy them from me?
‘The king asked, “How much?”
‘She said, “A thousand pieces of gold.”
‘The king said, “Don’t be silly. Go away.”
She went away, leaving the books, but presently returned carrying with her some wood, flint and steel. She sat down and lit a fire, and taking three volumes, she placed them on the fire and watched them burn.
‘Then she said, “King, there are still six books. Will you buy them from me?”
‘The king said, “How much?”
‘She said, “A thousand pieces of gold.”
‘The king said, “Don’t be silly. I wouldn’t buy the nine for a thousand, and I won’t buy the six. Go away.”
‘She didn’t go away, but taking three more of the books, she placed them on the fire and watched them slowly burn to ashes.
‘Then she said, “King, there are still three books. Will you buy them?”
‘The king said, “How much?”
‘She said, “A thousand pieces of gold.”
‘The king scratched his head and said to himself, “Well, it might be true, and if they are so valuable as all that, we don’t want to see the last of them go.”
And he bought the books and in them was all the love and the learning and the wisdom on which the great state of Rome was founded.’
T. R. H. Owen, Hunting Big Game with Gun and Camera in Africa.
This fable was first applied to African wildlife but it is now even truer of Indian animals. We still have three books, but for how long?
Billy Arjan Singh, Tiger Haven, Oxford University Press, New Delhi 1973