Saving the tiger means saving ourselves...

The tiger is a beautiful animal. But that is not the only reason we should save it. It is time to realize that when you save the tiger, you save the forest and in turn secure your food and water security.

This is because to make sure tigers live, we have to make sure that deer, peafowl and all other animals that the tiger eats (its prey base) live. To make sure that these herbivores live, we must make sure that all the trees, grass and other plants that these prey animals need for food are protected. In this way, the whole forest gets saved! So the tiger becomes an indicator of the forest's health and saving the tiger means saving its entire forest kingdom with all the other animals in it.

By saving tiger forests, we protect the catchment areas of our rivers and recharge groundwater sources.

How do forests catch and help store rainwater and protect soils?

• Branches on the tallest trees catch the first raindrops and then pass them on to the lower branches.
• From here, the water gently trickles on to shorter, shade-loving species of trees.
• After this, creepers, bushes and grasses absorb it.
• The water then reaches the floor where fallen leaves sponge the rain before allowing it to seep into the topsoil.
• This water collects in underground storage 'tanks' called aquifers. From here the water joins streams, rivulets, lakes and rivers, which in turn supply us with water.

The tiger cannot live in places where trees have vanished. In such places, the rain becomes a flood, killing people and destroying homes. It takes away the precious soil, leaving behind a wasteland. The soil jams up our lakes and dams, reducing their ability to store water. By destroying the tiger's home, we not only harm tigers, but also ourselves.

There is a very simple, very direct link between saving tigers and saving ourselves. The tiger thus becomes the symbol for the protection of all species on our earth, from the tiniest mosquito to the largest elephant, from birds and flowers to crocodiles and frogs. This is why we sometimes call the tiger, an apex predator, an indicator of our ecosystems' health.