To my oble grandfather, the late Namal Saltan Ali Khan Bahader, who was advisor on man-elephant conflict and honorary elephant hunter for British India for two decades. His unqualified success in saving many straying tuskers from official shooting orders by coaxing them back to their habitat earned abiding admiration and respect.
To my humble and caring father, the late Nawab Arshad Ali Khan, who was Secretary, Bangalore Turf Club, where he introduced the world’s first low-level stables and the country’s first swimming-pool for horses. He was also Secretary General of the Turf Authorities of India and a doyen of horse racing, a target shooter, and a marksman par excellence. He has molded my entire life as a hunter, sports shooter, and person.
I have complete confidence that, with three generations of reputed conservationists in his genes, this boo will be eagerly read by lovers of genuine jungle adventures. Shafath, who os probably the only licensed hunter in India to have witnessed the era of legal hunting in the country, deals with the present-day crisis on tiger conservation. As an alternative to the draconian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, he outlines a holistic, pragmatic law, based on international realities borne out by field experience, which would help resolve the current man – animal crisis.
My Family, especially my son Asghar Ali Khan, whose passion for wildlife and commitment to conservation are in his bloodline, shares my joy in preserving the mangoes, guavas, jamun, chikoo, tamarind, and cherries on our estate for the giant Malabar squirrel and the flocks of birds. Living thus in the lap of Nature charges our minds, calms our nerves, lifts our hearts, and forges treasured family bonds. It is a complete tonic for happiness! The assets of urban modernity cannot compare with the magical tenor of life in the sylvan forests.