Shooting Tigers

Scott Pelley Travels To India To See The Last Of The Wild Tigers

(CBS)  This segment was originally broadcast on Nov. 19, 2006. It was updated on July 8, 2007.

There were tigers, once, that ranged wild from Siberia to India, up to 100,000 of them. But not now: the world has gone from 100,000 to 5,000. And a recent, surprising discovery suggests that time is running out for the tigers that survive.

No one understands the decline of the tiger better than Belinda Wright, an Indian woman of English descent, who’s famous for shooting tigers – photographing them. Her daring encounters made her one of the great shooters, in fact, the first woman photographer at National Geographic. Correspondent Scott Pelley wanted to find out what’s driving wild tigers to extinction so 60 Minutes asked Wright to take our team into the jungle.

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Belinda Wright calls tigers her religion. For her, shooting pictures for National Geographic in the 1980’s was like a form of worship.

The word "tiger" comes from Greek, meaning "arrow." Here’s why: tigers hit 35 miles an hour. They’re among the most powerful hunters on land or in water. Wright photographed one taking a 250 lb. deer, defying hungry crocodiles, and swimming the beast back to shore.

"I think the most extraordinary thing about tigers is they're solitary. So a sick tiger, a weak tiger, a physically disabled tiger, is a dead tiger. So every tiger you see has to be absolute perfection," Wright explains.

Belinda Wright grew up in India, in "tigerland," so for her our trip was a homecoming. The 60 Minutes crew started out in the capital, New Delhi.

Asked to describe where the crew would be heading, Wright explains, "If you put a pin into the middle of India, that’s where we’re going. It’s right in the heart, in the center of India and in many ways it’s the most magical part of India, too."

The team rolled to a tiger reserve called Kanha in the state of Madhya Pradesh, 18 hours from Delhi, southwest of the Ganges, riding on rails that reach back as long and as straight as the arrow of time.

At the end of the track, the team ran into Hindu tradition, called Rama Navami, a holiday to celebrate renewal and drive out evil.

For Hindus, the tiger is a supernatural force. One God rides a tiger to show that she dominates the most powerful thing on earth. It’s their power that makes tigers the ultimate trophy for God and man.

60 Minutes found the Kanha Reserve at the end of the road. It seemed to the team like the Garden of Eden. It’s one of India’s 28 official tiger reserves, and it’s the jewel in the crown. It’s one of the few reserves where tigers are still safe and there’s still plenty of prey for them to hunt. This is the jungle of Kipling’s "Jungle Book," the tale of a boy who slays a tiger.

When Kipling was writing about this jungle, it was a little over 100 years ago. It was the era of the great tiger hunt. One Indian maharaja is said to have killed 1,200 tigers himself. These tiger hunts would go on for weeks and as many as 100 tigers would be taken in a single hunt. These days, in the Kanha Reserve, there only about 100 tigers left.

Before 60 Minutes could search for those last tigers, Belinda Wright insisted on washing her "SUV." It’s a 1967 model, with an ample trunk. She calls her "Tara" and in reality, the SUV is an elephant.

In India there’s no better vehicle for crashing through the jungle on a tiger hunt; the elephants will go through anything, tearing out brush with their trunks.

[Edwingro]

This was a fascinating and important program, and you are to be commended for it.

There was one glaring inaccuracy, however. How could you claim that Belinda Wright was "the first woman photographer at National Geographic?" Harriet Chalmers Adams had 21 stories printed in the magazine from 1907 to 1935.

The first female staff photographer at National Geographic was Kathleen Revis, who was hired in 1953. Over the next decade she illustrated many wonderful articles, covering long hikes over the Cascades, Rockies and White Mountains that her male counterparts could not have done.

An excellent photographer, Jodi Cobb, has been on staff since the 1970s.

Edwin Grosvenor

[Edwingro]

This was a fascinating and important program, and you are to be commended for it.

There was one glaring inaccuracy, however. How could you claim that Belinda Wright was "the first woman photographer at National Geographic?" Harriet Chalmers Adams had 21 stories printed in the magazine from 1907 to 1935.

The first female staff photographer at National Geographic was Kathleen Revis, who was hired in 1953. Over the next decade she illustrated many wonderful articles, covering long hikes over the Cascades, Rockies and White Mountains that her male counterparts could not have done.

An excellent photographer, Jodi Cobb, has been on staff since the 1970s.

Edwin Grosvenor

[cbswhiteout]

The Old Conservative (aka racist) way of doing things at CBS like the 60 mon story about the Rwandan Tragedy..rears it's ugly head again. Valmik Thapar an native Indian has truly dedicated his life to protecting the tiger more than anyone in India.

But to make the story more interesting the reporter and producer of this piece had to find a white knight for the story, so here comes Belinda Wright. We only heard a tiny sound bite from Valmik Thapar as Ms Wright was being praised to the highest for here work.

Is CBS truly the network of the Klansmen. You seem to have a white supremist attitude when doing stories?

[emccoy24]

I think it is hard for any group of people to change what they have become accustom to since the beginning of time. However, my question to the Chineese with regards to their use and willingness to pay to pay for tiger "parts" would be: "What will you do when tigers are extinct and they are no longer available for you to exploit?"

India needs to make it less lucrative for the poachers & distributors by making the protection of tigers more lucrative. Unfortunately, it always comes down to the all mighty dollar. There is no sense of right and wrong anymore.

[stopher2475-2009]

Here is how you fix the problem. Shame them. Make them so embarrassed to be seen with a tiger skin that they would not think to do it. This will kill the demand in China. Look at how culturally they see having more than one child is selfish. Use this same principal for animal conversation. Put out a series of commercials in China that show how anyone who needs to wear a tiger skin or eat tiger bones is an ignorant caveman. Laugh at them to their face and watch how quickly they conform to the new social norm.

[bawana69]

I have posted 3 times and 3 times my posts have been deleted. What's up with that? Is it that you only allow posts you want to hear? I only voiced my opinion on this subject, I didn't swear or call anybody names, so what gives? Leave my posts alone in the future.

Getting back to the tigers, leave those people in their own countries. Every wonder why the rest of the world hates Americans? It's situations like this, sticking our noses into other people's lives to change things a4roubnd to our liking. How would you feel if the people of India went on a campaign to stop Americans from eating beef because it's against their(the Indians) religion? You wouldn't. So get off this joke of saving the tigers, the poachers more than likely need the money.

The Whole

[barbandbelle]

Thank you 60 minutes for airing this program. Extinction of the wild tiger is an unbearable concept. Unconscionable, unbearable, unthinkable. If we allow the extinction of this magnificant creature, we will have lost ourselves as well.

Please provide us with contact information for Valmik Thapar (I see someone posted the information for Belinda Wright already) so that we can personally thank him for his lifetime passion, commitment, and so that we can donate money to his effort.

Thank you,
Barbara Peterson, NYC

[aaptwo]

For people who want to do something to save the tiger and other endangered wildlife/marinelife here are a few links:
World Wildlife Fund (WWF): http://www.worldwildlife.org/ http://www.panda.org/
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS): http://www.wcs.org/
Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI): http://www.wpsi-india.org/
Join wildlife groups at http://www.care2.com/

Though the administration of the National Parks in India and other countries bears a responsibility for protecting the tiger and wildlife, so do Giant Corporations like ExxonMobil who use the symbol of the Tiger. They have enormous resources to help. Please read and sign this petition to get more funding for Tiger and biodiversity conservation:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/214374227

Thanks
aaptwo

[buckjones4-2009]

And with this realization the dazzling flash of the once great cats, the tiger will someday no longer walk among the emerald - green jungle leaves of its homeland but will instead become a memory of the past...

One of God's great creatures who would be remembered as a shameful experience as many have already witnessed the murders of this great cat; yet out of respect and perserverance there are some who fight on to save this great creature of God... Like Joseph Vattakaven...

The shimmering - bursting tiger, exuberant - exhilarting... assessing its fate, its situation from a high vantage point, even a young tiger in a treetop in sight... make no mistake about it man is motivated by his need to be superior, by his selfishness, to make this world his own...

Its so very difficult to believe that this can happen in this day and age... under it all is our pretense and our hypocristy; under all the *** about love for animals... commpassion; but all that I see today is murder, killings and have to admit that I am repulsed by the killings of the great cats...

it just breaks my heart to see what is happening to this sparkling beauty who moves among the moonlight; among the jungle nights whispers like...

Before the sunless - moonless somber upon the twilight brings mankind to its knees... Stand - up all people and make it known that we will not tolerate the loss of our great cats the tigers...


Thank you,
Steve Trimboli

[peacenow2]

You can help Belinda Wright save these tigers by donating through her website:

http://www.wpsi-india.org/wpsi/index.php

[celebratiger]

I have recently been to Khana, as well as other reserves in India.The untold story is that if the poachers don't kill the tigers the tigers will kill each other. There is not enough territory for more than about 25 adult tigers in the best reserves. I have a picture of four 14 month old tigers who will not survive because they will fight over territory at two years old. Because there are no connnectors between reserves there is also problem of inbreeding.If you want to see tigers go soon!

[hudsonman35]

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Mark McLaughlin, I'm a Concerned World Citizen, a Voter, a Hard Working Man, and a Writer. After viewing the film by Fmr. V.P. Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, and after watching the 60 Minutes video about the endangered Tigers in India, I want to write about my disgust at those who are hurting our planet so cruelly. I wrote to Former President Clinton but he was unable to respond but I want to continue to talk about the growing environmental problems that CAN be fixed through so many means. I am not with any environmental group but I would love to if any of them would let me join. Something has to be done before all the wild Tigers in India and all over the world are extinct. Something has to be done before global warming becomes a very real problem for the world. It is time to take drastic measures and to inform everyone to STOP killing the Planet with toxic chemicals AND destroying trees to build more roads, etc. Thank you for your time and attention....

Sincerely,
Mark McLaughlin
marknetproductionsentrance.blogspot.com

[baghsevak]

The illegal wildlife trade is significantly similar to the drug trade; however, the key difference here is of demand. Drugs are addictive, tiger parts are not.

Traditional Chinese Medicine was actually banned in the early 20th century in China for being "ineffective", but was later reinstated as a national point of pride after the communist revolution. Demand for tiger parts can fluxuate depending on the public - educating the public and encouraging them to think about their shopping decisions do work. WildAid has done this and they have been very successful so far.

If the tiger is to be saved, it must be saved in the wild. A caged tiger is not a true tiger. Moreover, taking care of tigers in captivity is incredibly expensive, which is very threatening if you were to rely on it too much. People in the US often buy tiger cubs and mistreat them because they simply cannot afford it. It is crucial we maintain healthy captive populations, but we should not rely on them solely.

[keval_patel2]

Shooting Tigers:

Would appriciate if there is contact details for Valmik Thapar or Belinda Wright. Hoping to make a difference and see How can be of help.

[tianangui]

There are many similarities between the demand for tiger products and the demand for drugs, and in both cases, violence or the threat of violence against those who satisfy the demand is not the answer, and increased efforts to protect tigers will not decrease demand for them, just as more drug raids do not decrease the demand for drugs. Only extinction will stop the demand for tiger products. Many may not like it, but private breeding facilities and allowing tigers to be objects of commerce, where it would be beneficial to the owner to have the tigers reproduce, may be the best way to save the tigers.

[ghrohrs]

The horror! I am sickened by the unnatural dominance of the natural world's treasures by selfish, greedy and especially heartless poachers/hunters. If I ever get the satisfaction of hunting down a single poacher myself, I will consider my life well lived.

In the same regard, why not re-locate a small population of wild tigers from India to a reserve closer to home? Ted Turner owns millions of acres of land out west. Could they not be happy and fruitful there under carefully supervised conditions? Perhaps somewhere else in the world where people respect animal life? (not Japan, Russia, Chia or God-forbid Africa) There must be a welcome place for these godly beasts.

[mymatisse]

Great story - Thanks 60 Minutes for even producing the subject matter that deserves MORE ENERGY - Not only Tigers in India are on the brink of total destruction but also Tigers in other areas such as Indonesia, Burma... etc... I suggest that 60 Minutes now follow this story up with a trip to CHINA to GET IN THE FACE of those who create the blackmarket needs at a rapidly growing rate that will ultimately wipe out the Tiger within a decade... and all for what??... traditional medicines that any common pill can cure?!... The poachers are WRONG for doing what they do... but they only do it because there is a market... SOMEONE HAS TO STEP UP AND PUT WHATEVER PRESSURE IT TAKES TO STOP THE CHINESE FROM COMPLETELY WIPING OUT ENDANGERED ANIMALS ALL OVER THE WORLD!... so that they can cure back pain or get an erection to continue to populate those who continue to destroy!... WAKE UP WORLD!!... if Belinda Wright or Valmik Thapar reads this... if you need more man power to do what you do... let me know!... you are great "Humans"!

[temple999]

Thank you 60 minutes for sharing this story. It is so sad that the amazing animals of the world, from elephants to tigers, are disappearing so quickly, and for such incredibly inane reasons. People need to stop fulfilling their selfish, irrational needs and turn around and begin acting selflessly and rationally and get our environment and its animals back on track. We can't control everything, as has been proven time and time again.

Also, though there are as many as 4x more tigers in captivity than there are in the wild, as Mr. Pelley mentioned, I would urge 60 Minutes to do some exploration into the conditions these animals are subjected to both as "pets" in the U.S. and as "entertainers" which is how most of these animals are kept - basically without regulation or concern for their health or welfare. In some places in the U.S. any Joe Schmo can own a tiger, without knowing anything about them. I am sure you would be shocked at what you would find.

[baghsevak]

Thapar and I share the same sentiments. I am young, but I am passionate as he is. I WILL fight for this animal until my very last breath.

One of the more popular animals used in traditional chinese medicine is the tiger. Almost every part of the tiger has value in the TCM market, from the eyes, to its bones used to cure rhuematism to its *** for aphrodisiacs for rich Asian businessmen.

Habitat loss is also a major issue and is another reason why you simply cannot re-introduce tigers. The tiger IS a guardian of the forest and if it is gone there will be nothing to stop people from harvesting its resources. India is now the most populated nation on the planet and that means cities will expand and the %u201Cislands%u201D that tigers are currently living on will begin to shrink. All 3 extinct subspecies of tiger were destroyed primarily because of human expansion.

It should also be noted that WHITE TIGERS are not an endangered tiger. White tigers are merely a genetic mutation of a normal tiger - they do not naturally occur in the wild as a legitimate subspecies.

Anyone who wishes to find out more information about the tiger can contact me personally at:

[e-mail]

For those who would like to find out more about how you can help, you can visit:

World Wildlife Fund - Tigers
http://www.worldwildlife.org/tigers/

WildAid
http://www.wildaid.org/

[bretl1]

I am 39 years old, and I am horrified to the core at what the human race has done and continues to do to our planet. Your story about Tigers is just one more example. My compassion lies with all wild animals. Truly, what excuse do poachers have for their actions?! I echo the sentiment of other viewers; poachers must be shot and even killed to save the Tiger and it's natural habitat. It is our job as citizens of the world to protect all animals from these selfish, heartless and cowardice individuals. One may think me crazy, but I can't imagine the world without animals living in their own natural habitat, not lock in a pen like other domesticated animals. Ultimately, I am saddened by the story and I wish I could make a difference to save these and other magnificent animals on Earth. How can I help? Jennifer, New Canaan CT