Here is how a tiger is killed in Ranthambore। First, the poachers lay leg traps on the tiger’s usual routes. They scatter small stones around the trap, knowing that the fastidious tiger will try to avoid these tiny stones. Its leg gets caught in a trap; when it moves, the second trap snaps shut. Now the tiger is in pain so it sits down. The poachers tie a spear to an 8ft-long stick and appear. When the tiger roars, they spear its mouth so it begins to bleed. It roars again. More bleeding. When the tiger’s pain gets too much, when it tires from the roaring, they beat its forehead with a stick strengthened by pouring lead on it. They may use a small knife to blind the tiger so that they can spear it to death more easily. The tiger dies an agonizing death.

I had bought the Saturday edition of The Mint because it seemed to have lots of interesting articles on food. Instead, the first column that I ended up reading was Shoba Narayan's "The Good Life". (Be a conservationist) The above lines are from the beginning of that column. I feel sad and impotently angry. :-( Living so far away from these sanctuaries, I don't know what I or the likes of me can do to put an end to this.

If you have any ideas or are already working for the same, do let me know.