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{{Short description|Indian conservationist}}
{{Short description|Indian conservationist (1952–2025)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name       = Valmik Thapar
| name               = Valmik Thapar
| image       = Valmik thapar 200.jpg
| image             = Valmik thapar 200.jpg
| imagesize   =
| imagesize         =  
| alt         =
| alt               =  
| caption     =
| caption           =  
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1952}}<!-- {{Birth date|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| birth_date         = {{Birth year|1952}}
| birth_place =New Delhi
| birth_place       = [[New Delhi]], India
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_date         = {{Death date and given age|2025|5|31|73|df=y}}
| death_place =
| death_place       = New Delhi, India
| spouse     = [[Sanjana Kapoor]]
| spouse             = [[Sanjana Kapoor]]
| known_for   =''[[Land of the Tiger]]'' (1997)
| known_for         = ''[[Land of the Tiger]]'' (1997)
| occupation = [[natural history|natural historian]], wildlife documentary filmmaker, conservationist
| occupation         = {{hlist|Wildlife documentary filmmaker|conservationist|[[natural history|natural historian]]}}{{force singular}}
|children     = Hamir Thapar (b. 2002)
| children           = Hamir Thapar
| father     = [[Romesh Thapar]]
| education          = [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi]] (BA)
| relatives   = [[Romila Thapar]] (aunt)<br/>[[Daya Ram Thapar]] (grandfather)<br/>[[Pran Nath Thapar]] (great-uncle)<br/>[[Shashi Kapoor]] (father-in-law)<br/>[[Jennifer Kendal]] (mother-in-law)<br/>[[Kunal Kapoor (actor, born 1959)|Kunal Kapoor]] (brother-in-law)<br/>[[Karan Kapoor]] (brother-in-law)
| father             = [[Romesh Thapar]]
| relatives         = [[Romila Thapar]] (aunt)<br/>[[Daya Ram Thapar]] (grandfather)<br/>[[Pran Nath Thapar]] (great-uncle)
}}
}}


'''Valmik Thapar''' (born 1952) is an Indian [[natural history|naturalist]], conservationist and writer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/2010/11/25201205/A-message-in-bold-stripes.html|title = Archives Top and Latest News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/84093/|title = Why Valmik Thapar Needs a Plan B|date = 18 December 2005}}</ref> He is the author of 14 books and several articles, and has produced a range of programmes for television.<ref name="tt">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/22169790.cms|title=Tiger, tiger burning bright|date=15 September 2002|work=The Times of India|first1=Nona|last1=Walia}}</ref> Today he is one of India's most respected wildlife experts and [[conservationists]], having produced and narrated documentaries on India's natural habitat for such media as the [[BBC]], [[Animal Planet]], [[Discovery Channel|Discovery]] and [[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]].
'''Valmik Thapar''' (1952 – 31 May 2025) was an Indian [[natural history|naturalist]], conservationist and writer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/2010/11/25201205/A-message-in-bold-stripes.html|title = Archives Top and Latest News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/84093/|title = Why Valmik Thapar Needs a Plan B|date = 18 December 2005}}</ref> He was the author of 14 books and several articles, and was the producer of a range of programmes for television.<ref name="tt">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/22169790.cms|title=Tiger, tiger burning bright|date=15 September 2002|work=The Times of India|first1=Nona|last1=Walia|archive-date=3 November 2012|access-date=28 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103060513/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/22169790.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> He was one of India's most respected wildlife experts and [[conservationists]], having produced and narrated documentaries on India's natural habitat for such media as the [[BBC]], [[Animal Planet]], [[Discovery Channel|Discovery]] and [[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]].


==Early life==
==Early life==
Valmik Thapar was born in Bombay to Raj and [[Romesh Thapar]], a noted journalist and political commentator who founded political journal ''Seminar'' in 1959. The historian [[Romila Thapar]] is his aunt.
Valmik Thapar was born in [[Mumbai|Bombay]] (now Mumbai) to Raj Thapar, who founded the political journal ''Seminar'' in 1959, and [[Romesh Thapar]], a noted journalist and political commentator. Noted Indian historian [[Romila Thapar]] is his aunt.


He married theatre personality [[Sanjana Kapoor]] and the couple have a son, Hamir. They live in Delhi.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi-times/Hamir-spells-sonrise-for-Sanjana/articleshow/16379130.cms | work=The Times of India | first1=Anubha | last1=Sawhney | title=Hamir spells sonrise for Sanjana}}</ref>
He married theatre personality [[Sanjana Kapoor]] and the couple had a son, Hamir. Valmik Thapar and his family lived in [[Delhi]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi-times/Hamir-spells-sonrise-for-Sanjana/articleshow/16379130.cms | work=The Times of India | first1=Anubha | last1=Sawhney | title=Hamir spells sonrise for Sanjana | archive-date=4 November 2012 | access-date=12 December 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104043625/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi-times/Hamir-spells-sonrise-for-Sanjana/articleshow/16379130.cms | url-status=live }}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
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{{citation
{{citation
|url=http://infochangeindia.org/environment/changemaker/-if-only-indira-gandhi-was-sitting-there-asking-is-that-tiger-safe.html
|url=http://infochangeindia.org/environment/changemaker/-if-only-indira-gandhi-was-sitting-there-asking-is-that-tiger-safe.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527102408/http://infochangeindia.org/environment/changemaker/-if-only-indira-gandhi-was-sitting-there-asking-is-that-tiger-safe.html
|url-status=usurped
|archive-date=27 May 2011
|title='If only Indira Gandhi was sitting there, asking, is that tiger safe?' Interview with Valmik Thapar
|title='If only Indira Gandhi was sitting there, asking, is that tiger safe?' Interview with Valmik Thapar
|author= Lalitha Sridhar
|author= Lalitha Sridhar
Line 39: Line 43:


His stewardship of the [[Ranthambore Foundation]] was recognised and he was appointed a member of the [[Project Tiger|Tiger Task Force]] of 2005 by the [[Government of India]]. He criticised the majority Task Force view in his dissent note as excessively focussed on the prospects of co-existence of tigers and humans, which was, in his view not consistent with the objective of the panel.
His stewardship of the [[Ranthambore Foundation]] was recognised and he was appointed a member of the [[Project Tiger|Tiger Task Force]] of 2005 by the [[Government of India]]. He criticised the majority Task Force view in his dissent note as excessively focussed on the prospects of co-existence of tigers and humans, which was, in his view not consistent with the objective of the panel.
[[File:Tigerramki.jpg|thumb|200px| A tiger in India's Bandhavgarh reserve in 2006]]
[[File:Panthera tigris tigris in Bandhavgarh National Park, 2006-05.jpg|thumb|200px| A tiger in India's Bandhavgarh reserve in 2006]]


His writings have analysed the perceived failure of [[Project Tiger]], a conservation apparatus created in 1973 by the Government of India.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hindu.com/br/2008/12/02/stories/2008120250031400.htm | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Showcasing the big cat | date=2 December 2008}}</ref> He has critiqued Project Tiger, drawing attention to its mismanagement by a forest bureaucracy that is largely not scientifically trained. His most recent book ''The Last Tiger'' (Oxford University Press) makes this case strongly.
His writings have analysed the perceived failure of [[Project Tiger]], a conservation apparatus created in 1973 by the Government of India.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/br/2008/12/02/stories/2008120250031400.htm | location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Showcasing the big cat | date=2 December 2008 | archive-date=9 November 2013 | access-date=12 December 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109140512/http://www.hindu.com/br/2008/12/02/stories/2008120250031400.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> He critiqued Project Tiger, drawing attention to its mismanagement by a forest bureaucracy that is largely not scientifically trained. His last book ''The Last Tiger'' (Oxford University Press) makes this case strongly.


Among the consistent criticisms levelled by Thapar at India's Ministry of Environment and Forests relates to its unwillingness to curb poaching through armed patrols and its refusal to open forests to scholarly scientific enquiry.
Among the consistent criticisms levelled by Thapar at India's Ministry of Environment and Forests one relating to its unwillingness to curb [[poaching]] through armed patrols and its refusal to open forests to scholarly scientific enquiry.
   
   
His famous relationship with 'Macchli' a female tigress is documented in some of his chronicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k4/nov/nov64.htm|title=Animal Planet features special series on Indian Wildlife- 'India Revealed'|date=6 November 2004}}</ref>
His famous relationship with 'Macchli', a tigress, is documented in some of his chronicles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k4/nov/nov64.htm|title=Animal Planet features special series on Indian Wildlife – 'India Revealed'|date=6 November 2004|access-date=12 December 2010|archive-date=22 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622072856/http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k4/nov/nov64.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Thapar's most cherished tigers are highlighted in the BBC documentary film ''My Tiger Family''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mikebirkhead.com/MyTigerFamily.html|title=My Tiger Family – BBC Documentary|date=14 August 2024}}</ref>


== His view on Ranthambore Tiger T24 transfer to Zoo ==
== View on Ranthambore Tiger T24 transfer to Zoo ==
As per the Hindustan Times  
As per the Hindustan Times  


Joining the debate on the fate of [[T-24 (tiger)]] (Ustad), Valmik Thapar, one of India's most respected wildlife experts and conservationists, said relocating Ustad was the best option: “In my 40 years of experience of the tigers of Ranthambore, T-24 is the most dangerous tiger I have ever encountered. He killed four people, including two forest guards and two locals. The local villagers were partly eaten. The forest guards were not eaten because their bodies were retrieved keeping the tiger at bay.
Joining the debate on the fate of [[T-24 (tiger)|T-24]] (Ustad), Valmik Thapar, one of India's most respected wildlife experts and conservationists, said relocating Ustad was the best option: “In my 40 years of experience of the tigers of Ranthambore, T-24 is the most dangerous tiger I have ever encountered. He killed four people, including two forest guards and two locals. The local villagers were partly eaten. The forest guards were not eaten because their bodies were retrieved keeping the tiger at bay.


“After the first two kills I had suggested that this tiger be relocated to a captive enclosure but the tiger was given the benefit of the doubt. Later, two forest personnel have had to sacrifice their lives as a result. T-24 (9-years-old) territory included the path pilgrims take to and around the sacred Ganesha temple and Ranthambore fort. This last kill took place at the entry point of pilgrims and in daylight.
“After the first two kills I had suggested that this tiger be relocated to a captive enclosure but the tiger was given the benefit of the doubt. Later, two forest personnel have had to sacrifice their lives as a result. T-24 (9-years-old) territory included the path pilgrims take to and around the sacred Ganesha temple and [[Ranthambore Fort|Ranthambore fort]]. This last kill took place at the entry point of pilgrims and in daylight.


“The forest department and the government of Rajasthan have done a spectacularly successful job in relocating a man killing and eating tiger to a one hectare enclosure in Udaipur where he has eaten and is calm and where he will spend his last years. By doing this they have made Ranthambore safer for the brave forest guards who patrol and the tens of thousands of pilgrims who walk.
“The forest department and the [[government of Rajasthan]] have successfully relocated a man killing and eating tiger to a one [[hectare]] enclosure in Udaipur where he has eaten and is calm and where he will spend his last years. By doing this they have made Ranthambore safer for the forest guards who patrol and the tens of thousands of pilgrims who walk.


“Our feelings today must be for the families who suffered tragically in these five years that have gone by. It is for these families that we need to collect money and help. Any person or group who believed that he should have not been relocated would have to bear the responsibility on their shoulders for the next human kill and the accelerating conflict that could result. T-24 was given the maximum benefit of doubt that any man-eating tiger has ever got in recent Indian history.”
“Our feelings today must be for the families who suffered tragically in these five years that have gone by. It is for these families that we need to collect money and help. Any person or group who believed that he should have not been relocated would have to bear the responsibility on their shoulders for the next human kill and the accelerating conflict that could result. T-24 was given the maximum benefit of doubt that any man-eating tiger has ever got in recent Indian history.”
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[https://web.archive.org/web/20150520000527/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ustad-is-dangerous-should-be-in-captivity-wildlife-expert/article1-1348609.aspx]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150520000527/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ustad-is-dangerous-should-be-in-captivity-wildlife-expert/article1-1348609.aspx]


==Selected TV works==
==Death==
Thapar was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, and died at his home in [[New Delhi]], on 31 May 2025, at the age of 73.<ref>[https://indianexpress.com/article/india/valmik-thapar-conservationist-india-tiger-dies-at-73-10039834/ Valmik Thapar, conservationist and chronicler of India’s tigers, dies at 73]</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Neha Sinha |title=Valmik Thapar, iconic tiger crusader & wilds roaring voice, falls silent at 73 |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/valmik-thapar-iconic-tiger-crusader-wilds-roaring-voice-falls-silent-at-73/ |website=The Tribune |access-date=1 June 2025 |language=en-in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Dutt |first1=Bahar |title=Valmik Thapar: The Man Who Made Tiger Conservation an Aspirational Brand |url=https://www.thequint.com/opinion/valmik-thapar-the-man-who-gave-the-tiger-its-roar-obituary |website=TheQuint |language=en |date=31 May 2025}}</ref>


*''Tiger Crisis''
==Selected television works==
*''[[Land of the Tiger]]''
*''Tiger Crisis (1994)''
*''Tigers' Fortress''
*''[[Land of the Tiger]] (1997)''
*''Danger in Tiger Paradise''
*''Tigers' Fortress (2000)''
*''Search for Tigers''
*''Danger in Tiger Paradise (2002)''
*''Overpopulation''
*''Search for Tigers (2003)''
*''My Tiger Family (2024)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00220f1 | publisher=BBC Two |title=My Tiger Family }}</ref>''


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==
;Books by Valmik Thapar


# With Tigers in the Wild, Vikas Publishing, Delhi
# Tiger: Portrait of a Predator, Collins UK
# Tigers: The Secret Life, Hamish Hamilton, Penguin, UK
# The Tiger's Destiny, Kyle Ceathie, UK
# The Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent, BBC Publishing, UK
# The Secret Life of Tigers, Oxford University Press, Delhi
# Tiger, Wayland, UK
# Wild Tigers of Ranthambhore, Oxford University Press, India
# Bridge of God: 20 Days in the Masai Mara, Private
# The Cult of the Tiger, Oxford University Press, India
# Tiger: The Ultimate Guide, Two Brothers Press, USA
# The Last Tiger, Oxford University Press, India
# The Illustrated Tigers of India, Oxfpord University Press, India
# Ranthambhore: 10 Days in the Tiger Fortress, Oxford University Press, India
# Tigers and the Banyan Tree, Private
# An African Diary: 12 Days in Kenya's Magical Wilderness, Oxford University Press, India
# The Tiger: Soul of India, Oxford University Press, India
# Tigers, My Life: Ranthambhore and Beyond, Oxford University Press, India
# My Life with Tigers: Ranthambhore and Beyond, Oxford University Press, India
# Tigers in the Emerald Forest: Ranthambhore after the Monsoon, Oxford University Press, India Tiger Fire, Aleph Publishing, India
# Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tigers in India, Aleph Publishing, India
# Wild Fire: The Splendours of India's Animal Kingdom, Aleph Publishing, India
# Winged Fire: A Celebration of Indian Birds, Aleph Publishing, India
# Living with Tigers, Aleph Publishing, India
# Serengeti Magic, Private
# Serengeti Tales, Private
# Saving Wild India: A Blueprint for Change, Aleph Publishing, India


Books by Valmik Thapar
;Books co-authored by Valmik Thapar
# With Tigers in the Wild with Fateh Singh Rathore and Tejbir Singh, Vikas Publishing, Delhi
# Tigers and Tigerwallahs with Jim Corbett, Billy Arjan Singh, Geoffrey C. Ward and Diane Raines Ward, Oxford University Press, Delhi
# Exotic Aliens with Romila Thapar and Yusuf Ansari, Aleph Publishing


1. With Tigers in the Wild, Vikas Publishing, Delhi
;Books edited by Valmik Thapar
2. Tiger: Portrait of a Predator, Collins UK
# Saving Wild Tigers, 1900–2000: The Essential Writings, Permanent Black, India
3. Tigers: The Secret Life, Hamish Hamilton, Penguin, UK
# Battling for Survival, Oxford University Press, India
4. The Tiger's Destiny, Kyle Ceathie, UK
5. The Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent, BBC Publishing, UK
6. The Secret Life of Tigers, Oxford University Press, Delhi
7. Tiger, Wayland, UK
8. Wild Tigers of Ranthambhore, Oxford University Press, India
9. Bridge of God: 20 Days in the Masai Mara, Private
10. The Cult of the Tiger, Oxford University Press, India
11. Tiger: The Ultimate Guide, Two Brothers Press, USA
12. The Last Tiger, Oxford University Press, India
13. The Illustrated Tigers of India, Oxfpord University Press, India
14. Ranthambhore: 10 Days in the Tiger Fortress, Oxford University Press, India
15. Tigers and the Banyan Tree, Private
16. An African Diary: 12 Days in Kenya's Magical Wilderness, Oxford University Press, India
17. The Tiger: Soul of India, Oxford University Press, India
18. Tigers, My Life: Ranthambhore and Beyond, Oxford University Press, India
19. My Life with Tigers: Ranthambhore and Beyond, Oxford University Press, India
20. Tigers in the Emerald Forest: Ranthambhore after the Monsoon, Oxford University Press, India Tiger Fire, Aleph Publishing, India
21. Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tigers in India, Aleph Publishing, India
22. Wild Fire: The Splendours of India's Animal Kingdom, Aleph Publishing, India
23. Winged Fire: A Celebration of Indian Birds, Aleph Publishing, India
24. Living with Tigers, Aleph Publishing, India
25. Serengeti Magic, Private
26. Serengeti Tales, Private
27. Saving Wild India: A Blueprint for Change, Aleph Publishing, India
 
 
Books co-authored by Valmik Thapar
28. With Tigers in the Wild with Fateh Singh Rathore and Tejbir Singh, Vikas Publishing, Delhi
29. Tigers and Tigerwallahs with Jim Corbett, Billy Arjan Singh, Geoffrey C. Ward and Diane Raines Ward,  Oxford University Press, Delhi
30. Exotic Aliens with Romila Thapar and Yusuf Ansari, Aleph Publishing
 
 
Books edited by Valmik Thapar
31. Saving Wild Tigers, 1900-2000: The Essential Writings, Permanent Black, India
32. Battling for Survival, Oxford University Press, India
 
 
Selected TV works
1. Danger in Tiger Paradise
2. Land of the Tiger – 6 one hour programmes
3. Search for Tigers
4. Tiger Crisis I
5. Tiger Crisis II
6. Tiger Zero
7. Tigers' Fortress
 
 
Selected Public Talks in ...
1. Auckland, New Zealand
2. Bangalore, India
3. Bangkok, Thailand
4. Bristol, UK
5. Brussels, Belgium
6. Calcutta, India
7. Chennai, India
8. Colombo, Sri Lankan
9. Dallas, USA
10. Delhi, India
11. Hague, Holland
12. Jamshedpur, India
13. Johannesburg, South Africa
14. London, UK
15. Male, Maldives
16. Monaco, Monte Carlo
17. Mumbai, India
18. Nairobi, Kenya
19. New York, USA
20. Oslo, Norway
21. Pasadena, USA
22. San Jose, Costa Rica
23. Singapore
24. Sydney, Australia
25. Thimpu, Bhutan
26. Washington, USA
27. Wellington, New Zealand
28. Jaipur, India
 
 
Selected International Meetings that Valmik attended
1. CITES, Nairobi, Kenya
2. National Parks Commission, Venezuela
3. Save the Tiger Fund, Dallas, USA
4. Tiger Meetings in Thailand
5. CITES meeting, Hague, Holland
6. CITES meeting TRAFIIC, Bangkok, Thailand
7. Save the Tiger, Kathmandu, Nepal
8. London Zoological Society, London
 
 
* * *


==References==
==References==
Line 172: Line 119:


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.discoverwild.org/vthapar.html The tiger in India: 'There is a war going on'- An exclusive interview with Valmik Thapar by the Discoverwild Foundation]
* {{IMDb name| 2838280}}
* [http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050409/asp/weekend/story_4566921.asp Report on Valmik Thapar from The Telegraph, India]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070604172434/http://www.discoverwild.org/vthapar.html The tiger in India: 'There is a war going on'− An exclusive interview with Valmik Thapar by the Discoverwild Foundation]}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030819135106/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/06/02/stories/2003060200050100.htm The Hindu's Metroplus on Valmik Thapar]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050414154444/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050409/asp/weekend/story_4566921.asp Report on Valmik Thapar from The Telegraph, India]
* {{usurped|[https://web.archive.org/web/20030819135106/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/06/02/stories/2003060200050100.htm The Hindu's Metroplus on Valmik Thapar]}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Thapar, Valmik}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thapar, Valmik}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian conservationists]]
[[Category:Indian conservationists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:Indian documentary filmmakers]]
[[Category:Indian documentary filmmakers]]
[[Category:Writers from Delhi]]
[[Category:Writers from Delhi]]
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Indian non-fiction environmental writers]]
[[Category:Indian non-fiction environmental writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian zoologists]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian zoologists]]
[[Category:People from New Delhi]]
[[Category:People from New Delhi]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:People from Delhi]]
[[Category:Kapoor family]]
[[Category:Kendal family|Valmik Thapar]]
[[Category:Thapar family (Pran Nath Thapar)|Valmik Thapar]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in India]]
[[Category:Indian naturalists]]
[[Category:Indian environmentalists]]
[[Category:Indian television producers]]
[[Category:Indian television presenters]]
[[Category:People from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Indian science writers]]
[[Category:Indian environmental writers]]

Latest revision as of 15:24, 18 March 2026


Valmik Thapar
Born1952 (1952)
New Delhi, India
Died (aged 73)
New Delhi, India
EducationSt. Stephen's College, Delhi (BA)
Occupation
Template:Force singular
Known forLand of the Tiger (1997)
Spouse(s)Sanjana Kapoor
ChildrenHamir Thapar
Parent(s)
RelativesRomila Thapar (aunt)
Daya Ram Thapar (grandfather)
Pran Nath Thapar (great-uncle)

Valmik Thapar (1952 – 31 May 2025) was an Indian naturalist, conservationist and writer.[1][2] He was the author of 14 books and several articles, and was the producer of a range of programmes for television.[3] He was one of India's most respected wildlife experts and conservationists, having produced and narrated documentaries on India's natural habitat for such media as the BBC, Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Valmik Thapar was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) to Raj Thapar, who founded the political journal Seminar in 1959, and Romesh Thapar, a noted journalist and political commentator. Noted Indian historian Romila Thapar is his aunt.

He married theatre personality Sanjana Kapoor and the couple had a son, Hamir. Valmik Thapar and his family lived in Delhi.[4]

Career[edit | edit source]

Valmik Thapar spent decades following the fortunes of India's tiger population. He was influenced by Fateh Singh Rathore.[5]

His stewardship of the Ranthambore Foundation was recognised and he was appointed a member of the Tiger Task Force of 2005 by the Government of India. He criticised the majority Task Force view in his dissent note as excessively focussed on the prospects of co-existence of tigers and humans, which was, in his view not consistent with the objective of the panel.

A tiger in India's Bandhavgarh reserve in 2006

His writings have analysed the perceived failure of Project Tiger, a conservation apparatus created in 1973 by the Government of India.[6] He critiqued Project Tiger, drawing attention to its mismanagement by a forest bureaucracy that is largely not scientifically trained. His last book The Last Tiger (Oxford University Press) makes this case strongly.

Among the consistent criticisms levelled by Thapar at India's Ministry of Environment and Forests one relating to its unwillingness to curb poaching through armed patrols and its refusal to open forests to scholarly scientific enquiry.

His famous relationship with 'Macchli', a tigress, is documented in some of his chronicles.[7] Thapar's most cherished tigers are highlighted in the BBC documentary film My Tiger Family.[8]

View on Ranthambore Tiger T24 transfer to Zoo[edit | edit source]

As per the Hindustan Times

Joining the debate on the fate of T-24 (Ustad), Valmik Thapar, one of India's most respected wildlife experts and conservationists, said relocating Ustad was the best option: “In my 40 years of experience of the tigers of Ranthambore, T-24 is the most dangerous tiger I have ever encountered. He killed four people, including two forest guards and two locals. The local villagers were partly eaten. The forest guards were not eaten because their bodies were retrieved keeping the tiger at bay.

“After the first two kills I had suggested that this tiger be relocated to a captive enclosure but the tiger was given the benefit of the doubt. Later, two forest personnel have had to sacrifice their lives as a result. T-24 (9-years-old) territory included the path pilgrims take to and around the sacred Ganesha temple and Ranthambore fort. This last kill took place at the entry point of pilgrims and in daylight.

“The forest department and the government of Rajasthan have successfully relocated a man killing and eating tiger to a one hectare enclosure in Udaipur where he has eaten and is calm and where he will spend his last years. By doing this they have made Ranthambore safer for the forest guards who patrol and the tens of thousands of pilgrims who walk.

“Our feelings today must be for the families who suffered tragically in these five years that have gone by. It is for these families that we need to collect money and help. Any person or group who believed that he should have not been relocated would have to bear the responsibility on their shoulders for the next human kill and the accelerating conflict that could result. T-24 was given the maximum benefit of doubt that any man-eating tiger has ever got in recent Indian history.”

[1]

Death[edit | edit source]

Thapar was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, and died at his home in New Delhi, on 31 May 2025, at the age of 73.[9][10][11]

Selected television works[edit | edit source]

  • Tiger Crisis (1994)
  • Land of the Tiger (1997)
  • Tigers' Fortress (2000)
  • Danger in Tiger Paradise (2002)
  • Search for Tigers (2003)
  • My Tiger Family (2024)[12]

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Books by Valmik Thapar
  1. With Tigers in the Wild, Vikas Publishing, Delhi
  2. Tiger: Portrait of a Predator, Collins UK
  3. Tigers: The Secret Life, Hamish Hamilton, Penguin, UK
  4. The Tiger's Destiny, Kyle Ceathie, UK
  5. The Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent, BBC Publishing, UK
  6. The Secret Life of Tigers, Oxford University Press, Delhi
  7. Tiger, Wayland, UK
  8. Wild Tigers of Ranthambhore, Oxford University Press, India
  9. Bridge of God: 20 Days in the Masai Mara, Private
  10. The Cult of the Tiger, Oxford University Press, India
  11. Tiger: The Ultimate Guide, Two Brothers Press, USA
  12. The Last Tiger, Oxford University Press, India
  13. The Illustrated Tigers of India, Oxfpord University Press, India
  14. Ranthambhore: 10 Days in the Tiger Fortress, Oxford University Press, India
  15. Tigers and the Banyan Tree, Private
  16. An African Diary: 12 Days in Kenya's Magical Wilderness, Oxford University Press, India
  17. The Tiger: Soul of India, Oxford University Press, India
  18. Tigers, My Life: Ranthambhore and Beyond, Oxford University Press, India
  19. My Life with Tigers: Ranthambhore and Beyond, Oxford University Press, India
  20. Tigers in the Emerald Forest: Ranthambhore after the Monsoon, Oxford University Press, India Tiger Fire, Aleph Publishing, India
  21. Tiger Fire: 500 Years of the Tigers in India, Aleph Publishing, India
  22. Wild Fire: The Splendours of India's Animal Kingdom, Aleph Publishing, India
  23. Winged Fire: A Celebration of Indian Birds, Aleph Publishing, India
  24. Living with Tigers, Aleph Publishing, India
  25. Serengeti Magic, Private
  26. Serengeti Tales, Private
  27. Saving Wild India: A Blueprint for Change, Aleph Publishing, India
Books co-authored by Valmik Thapar
  1. With Tigers in the Wild with Fateh Singh Rathore and Tejbir Singh, Vikas Publishing, Delhi
  2. Tigers and Tigerwallahs with Jim Corbett, Billy Arjan Singh, Geoffrey C. Ward and Diane Raines Ward, Oxford University Press, Delhi
  3. Exotic Aliens with Romila Thapar and Yusuf Ansari, Aleph Publishing
Books edited by Valmik Thapar
  1. Saving Wild Tigers, 1900–2000: The Essential Writings, Permanent Black, India
  2. Battling for Survival, Oxford University Press, India

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Archives Top and Latest News".
  2. ↑ "Why Valmik Thapar Needs a Plan B". 18 December 2005.
  3. ↑ Walia, Nona (15 September 2002). "Tiger, tiger burning bright". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  4. ↑ Sawhney, Anubha. "Hamir spells sonrise for Sanjana". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  5. ↑ Lalitha Sridhar (21 March 2012), "'If only Indira Gandhi was sitting there, asking, is that tiger safe?' Interview with Valmik Thapar", News & Features, InfoChange India, archived from the original on 27 May 2011
  6. ↑ "Showcasing the big cat". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2 December 2008. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  7. ↑ "Animal Planet features special series on Indian Wildlife – 'India Revealed'". 6 November 2004. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "My Tiger Family – BBC Documentary". 14 August 2024.
  9. ↑ Valmik Thapar, conservationist and chronicler of India’s tigers, dies at 73
  10. ↑ Neha Sinha. "Valmik Thapar, iconic tiger crusader & wilds roaring voice, falls silent at 73". The Tribune. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  11. ↑ Dutt, Bahar (31 May 2025). "Valmik Thapar: The Man Who Made Tiger Conservation an Aspirational Brand". TheQuint.
  12. ↑ "My Tiger Family". BBC Two.

External links[edit | edit source]

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