The inspiration for Mowgli the Man Cub's home from "The Jungle Book" came from Madhya Pradesh's Pench National Forest, where tigers rule. Mowgli's fearsome villain might be Shere Khan, but the Park's real-life tigers are the real victims, especially if a proposed tiger safari project inside of the Park moves forward.
India is vital to tiger conservation -- approximately 70 percent of the world's wild tiger population lives in India. But India's network of poachers, even in protected areas like the National Park, is being revitalized by the growing demand for tiger body parts. Last month, the Hindustan Times reported that more tigers were poached in the first four months of 2016 than all of 2015; There have been nine tiger fatalities, including three confirmed poaching incidents, in Pench National Park so far this year.
And conservationists warn that the planned safari park inside the Park will only exacerbate the tiger poaching. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is speaking out warning that the safari project "is detrimental to tiger dispersal" and it "exposes them to poaching," reports The Indian Express. Over 550 trees -- or vital tiger habitat -- will be cut down for the proposed park.
Help Mowgli's tigers by signing and sharing this petition urging Madhya Pradesh authorities to stop the tiger safari park project from moving forward.
Photo Credit: Vishwanath Hawargi
