We at OT are strong supporters of TOFT (Tour Operators For Tigers), which takes contributions from visitors to India's tiger sanctuaries and puts the money towards a more sustainable conservation strategy to protect these most special of beasties. In the interests of drumming up more awareness worldwide, TOFT have come up with a novel new Lifetime Achievement Award, which this year goes to two tigers - Machali in Ranthambhore and the slightly less Jungle Book-invoking B2 in Bandavgarh.
Machali is reckoned to have earned the Indian economy as much as $100 million since she became the dominant female in the park, and has brought up 11 cubs. B2 has been even more productive, siring 35 tigers who have made it to adulthood. In fact the sizeable majority of tigers in Bandavgarh are reckoned to be his sons and daughters.
“Machali herself earns as much as a top cricketer or Bollywood actress” says Julian Matthews of TOFT, “and it’s critical to recognise these extraordinary economic benefits that come from saving her species in the wild. She literally provides livelihoods for thousands of people from forest guards to wildlife guides, drivers to hoteliers.”
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