Publisher's Synopsis
A beautifully photographed and intimate portrait of a group of wild Bengal tigers, one of the world's favourite animals. Compiled by acclaimed wildlife photographer Iain Green during his field observations in Bandhavgarh over five years, this book and its colour photographs tells the true story of four generations of a family, documenting the successes and harsh realities of its lives. Central to the book are the three male cubs of the elusive tigress, Bachchi. First observed as young cubs, despite considerable adversity, "Bachchi's boys" have grown into successful territorial males and have recently become fathers.;Set amidst the "Kipling" jungles of Central India, Bandhavgarh is not only renowned for its natural wilderness but also for its extraordinary history. According to legend, its ancient central fort was built by mythical monkey architects and was once the capital of a royal dynasty and a hunting preserve for maharajas, before finally becoming a reserve with protection for its spectacular wildlife.;Despite legal protection, India's tigers have not escaped the dangers of poaching and habitat destruction. As the world-wide tiger population decreases rapidly and extinction becomes a very real threat, Iain Green's in-depth study of the wild tigers of Bandhavgarh is of great significance.;Illustrated with more than 200 colour photographs, Iain Green's account of his "Encounters in a Fragile Forest", is interwoven with the story of the tigers, a portrait of India's natural history and its landscape and an analysis of the crisis facing tiger conservation as we enter the 21st century.
