Shekar Dattatri is a veteran wildlife and conservation filmmaker, renowned not only for his films for international television channels but also for his impactful independent documentaries such as 'The Truth About Tigers', ‘India’s Disappearing Beaches’ and 'Mindless Mining – The Tragedy of Kudremukh', which have significantly influenced conservation efforts. He is a former member of the National Board for Wildlife and a former member of the State Board for Wildlife, Tamil Nadu.

In conversation with photojournalist Prasoon Kiran, he shares his perspectives on various aspects of conservation in India.

Prasoon Kiran: As a wildlife and conservation filmmaker with a deep understanding of issues, how do you reflect on your journey over the last few decades?

Shekar Dattatri: My journey in nature started in 1973 at the age of 10, when I began reading natural history books and observing the birds and other creatures in and around Chennai, where I was born. In 1976, I joined the famous Madras Snake Park Trust as a volunteer and spent the next nine years immersed in herpetology. Inspired by pioneering international wildlife biologists such as Jane Goodall, George Schaller and Iain Douglas-Hamilton, I too aspired to become one. 

However, destiny had other plans. In 1983, I had an opportunity to assist on a documentary film project on snakebite. By the time the film was completed a year and half later, I had picked up the rudiments of filmmaking and was totally hooked by this exciting medium. After producing and shooting several documentaries, including the first one on Kerala’s famous Silent Valley, which won two National Awards in 1990, I went to work with Oxford Scientific Films in the UK to learn advanced techniques in natural history filmmaking. Subsequently, I spent over a decade as a freelance producer and cameraman working with some of world’s leading wildlife television broadcasters, such as National Geographic, the BBC, and the Discovery Channel, earning international recognition and a worldwide audience for my films. 

However, the allure of television started fading when I began asking myself how these TV documentaries were helping conservation in India? While such films may help create more awareness, they rarely lead to any direct conservation action. 

So, in the year 2000, I gave up producing films for television and started making hard-hitting, issue-based films that portray specific conservation issues in India and their potential solutions. These films are primarily intended to sensitize decision-makers in India, who are the only ones with the power to effect change on the ground. 

My first short advocacy video, 'Mindless Mining – The Tragedy of Kudremukh,' created in 2001, played a crucial role in shifting political opinion in Karnataka and paved the way for halting a highly destructive open-cast iron ore mining operation in the Kudremukh National Park. This success confirmed that I was on the right path. For the past 24 years, I have focused on understanding the nuances of complex conservation issues and creating knowledge-based films that can make a tangible difference.

^{Shekar Dattatri}
PK:Project Tiger began in 1973, marking a significant conservation effort recognized worldwide. The tiger count in India was at a low of 1411 in 2006, but it has since increased to 3167. How effective do you believe Project Tiger has been, and could you share your observations or experiences related to this initiative?

SD: There is no doubt that Project Tiger, has been successful in arresting the decline of tigers in India, and even increasing their numbers in many reserves. In 1973, nine Protected Areas were given additional status as Tiger Reserves and received critical resources such as vehicles, wireless networks, anti-poaching camps and other dire necessities. Today, there are over 50 Tiger Reserves in the country, spanning a wide variety of habitats. Not only has this benefitted the tiger, but also its co-predators, prey animals and other fauna that share the same habitat.

However, the tiger numbers announced by the government every few years don’t have much credibility. This is because neither the figures nor the methods used to arrive at these numbers, are verified independently. We are just supposed to believe what we are told.

^{From the documentary-The Truth About Tigers}
PK: Your documentary, 'The Truth About Tigers' was released in 2010. I think no other documentary has explored the issue of tigers with as much depth. How do you think it shaped the conversation around tiger conservation?

SD: I made ‘The Truth about Tigers’ in 2010 when tiger poaching by highly organised gangs was taking a heavy toll across the country. Tiger skins and bones were being smuggled to China to meet a seemingly insatiable demand. The problem was so severe that poachers completely wiped out tigers from the Sariska and Panna Tiger Reserves. 

Although the killing of tigers was a dire problem, there were other issues that were equally important for their long term survival – such as the widespread hunting of prey species by local communities, which was reducing the food supply for tigers and thus suppressing their populations. Unfortunately, the mainstream media was focused almost exclusively on the sensational matter of tiger poaching, making a complex issue one-dimensional. Therefore, my film was designed as a comprehensive and clear guide on all aspects of tigers and their conservation. The film was dubbed in five languages and 35,000 DVDs were distributed free of cost across India. From the feedback I’ve received over the years, I believe the film helped viewers gain a nuanced understanding of tigers, their conservation challenges, and some practical solutions to those problems. 

The film was also screened extensively in villages around tiger reserves by NGOs such as the Wildlife Protection Society of India, which had its own positive outcomes. ‘The Truth about Tigers’ can be viewed at www.vimeo.com

^{Shekar Dattatri}
PK: I believe you are familiar with the human-animal conflicts occurring in Kerala, particularly in Wayanad and Idukki districts. Given your experience with tiger conservation and your observations of wildlife conflicts in different states, what is your assessment of the present situation?

SD: The issue of human-animal conflict is a complex one that encompasses many species of wildlife including deer, wild pig, elephants and big cats. The causes are different for each species, and cannot be generalised. However, with regard to the increasing incidents of human-tiger conflict including cases where people have been killed and even eaten, this is at least partially the  price of conservation success.

During the last few decades, tiger populations have increased within many reserves due to better protection. Since tigers are fiercely territorial, old tigers sometimes get pushed to the edges of the forest by younger tigers taking over their territory. 
When tigers sustain severe injuries during territorial fights, or as they get feeble with age, they may lose their capacity to hunt fleet-footed natural prey. This may force them to kill livestock and, sometimes, people. Similarly, tiger cubs above the age of 22 months start dispersing from their mother’s territory and look for a vacant one to occupy. Usually the prime territories in the forest are already occupied by other tigers, so the subadults settle in marginal habitats at the forest edge, or move through human-dominated landscapes in their search of a suitable territory elsewhere, which sometimes leads to conflict with humans. 

Such conflicts are inevitable, and likely to increase around reserves that have reached their tiger carrying capacity. Many State Forest Departments have become adept at trapping and removing problem tigers, but are often hampered by pressure from ‘animal lovers’ on social media, or irate local people impatient for an instant result. The public must understand that resolving such problems is not an easy task and can only be accomplished with cooperation and understanding from society. Forest Departments, on their part, must become better at communicating with the public, and more professional in tackling these issues.

Well-meaning wildlife enthusiasts should learn more about tiger biology as this will help them understand that removing one or two problem tigers from a forest will not affect tiger conservation. On the contrary, not taking swift action in resolving a problem may force local people to take the law into their own hands, with disastrous consequences. In conservation, the welfare of a species is more important than that of an individual animal.

From the Documentary Killer Roads
PK: We live in a time where the balance of food sources in forest ecosystems is disturbed. Additionally, water shortages and the explosive growth of invasive plants are creating significant challenges. Do these changes stand out to you more during your recent forest explorations compared to earlier ones?

SD: One of the disturbing trends during the last decade or two, especially in Tiger Reserves, which now get generous budgets, is excessive manipulation in the name of ‘habitat management’. These days, JCBs and bulldozers are routinely engaged for needless earth-moving activities. More roads and ‘view lines’ are created in the forest, which fragment the habitat and create openings in the canopy. The increased sunlight helps invasive plant species spread rapidly. To combat these, more funds are allocated to remove them using more JCBs and bulldozers. This vicious cycle will ultimately destroy the diversity and ecological integrity of our forests. 

The most effective way to suppress the spread of invasive plant species is by nurturing more forest trees. When trees grow and spread their canopy, the shade they create will permanently discourage the growth of invasive species. However, no one seems to have the patience for this slow but sure approach. Ripping out the invasives is easier and looks more impressive. However, the result will always be temporary, as the invasives will spring back with greater vigour during the next monsoon. 

Another problem is the needless creation of new waterholes in the forest every year with utter disregard for the ecological implications. This is done in the name of “quenching the thirst of the poor forest animals in summer” and to “prevent them from straying outside the forest”. Undeniably, a few waterholes may sometimes be needed at strategic locations. But when dozens of them are added all over the forest year after year, it leads to all sorts of unintended consequences. 

For example, the increase in year-round water availability has led to an unnatural increase in spotted deer populations in many reserves. This inevitably leads to an increase in the tiger population. While many park managers are immensely proud to see tiger numbers keep going up in their reserves, this has a serious consequence. When more and more tigers are packed into an area of forest, it leads to more and more instances of tiger-human conflict, which the same officers are then forced to manage. 

So, instead of creating lopsided conditions that favour one or two species, the aim should be to preserve biodiversity in all its forms. In fact, foresters should heed the words of the late Kailash Sankhala, the first Director of Project Tiger, who argued against all forms of unnecessary habitat manipulation. Nature knows how to maintain an equilibrium. If at all human intervention is required, it must be backed by science and robust ecological reasoning. Both these are sorely lacking in the management of our forests and wildlife.

^{From the documentary Mindless Mining – The Tragedy of Kudremukh}
PK: Just a few weeks ago, in Kottiyoor, Kannur (Kerala), a tiger was caught and died in a trap set for pigs only ten meters away from the forest boundary. You've shown similar circumstances in 'The Truth About Tigers.' Is hunting near the forest edges still an unresolved issue?

SD: No forest in India is completely safe from illegal hunting. The best way to minimise such incidents is through diligent and regular foot-patrols to detect snares and traps. Since most reserves have a severe shortage of frontline staff, reserve managers should cultivate a dedicated cadre of volunteers to assist their efforts. There are NGOs and socially-minded people in every region who are willing and eager to help. While a few progressive forest officers have recognized this, the system as a whole remains haughty and exclusionary. State Forest Departments must discard this feudal mindset to suit the times we live in. They are not the owners of India’s wildlife but merely its custodians. The sooner this fact is accepted, the easier it will be to safeguard India’s forests and wildlife. 

You've mentioned in your film that tiger conservation isn't rocket science and that it simply requires providing them with well-protected, undisturbed forests. Considering the changing times, how feasible and practical is this?

SD: Protecting forests is not difficult, especially given the resources available today. However, vast amounts of money are wasted on all sorts of unnecessary or ecologically detrimental activities. It’s shameful that in most reserves, anti-poaching watchers don’t get their paltry salaries for months, and don’t have even the most basic facilities to do their work. If this one thing is set right, and frontline staff are provided adequate motivation and support by their superiors, forest protection will improve tremendously.

And although it may surprise many, there is still a lot of scope in India for creating more National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves, as well as expanding the boundaries of several existing Protected Areas. This must be done on priority before these areas are lost to development projects or encroachment. 

Contrary to what our political leaders seem to believe, conservation of nature is neither an act of charity nor a luxury, but a vital necessity. Without forests and other wild habitats, which perform countless ecosystem services on which we are highly dependent, our existence on this planet will turn into a nightmare. 

From the Documentary Killer Roads
PK: What is the current state of tigers in our forests? How do you envision the future of our forests?

SD: Today tigers are doing well in reserves that have a reasonably good system of protection in place. In south India, the contiguous wildlife reserves within and adjoining the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, such as Nagarahole, Bandipur, Mudumalai, Wayanad, and Sathyamangalam, constitute the best long-term stronghold for the tiger in India. Kaziranga in Assam, Corbett in Uttarakhand and Kanha in Madhya Pradesh are examples of other reserves that have good tiger populations. Simlipal in Odisha, and NSTR (Nagarjunasagar –Srisailam Tiger Reserve), which straddles Telengana and Andhra, have tremendous potential if the right measures are implemented. 

The most urgent threat to forests today is fragmentation due to a variety of reasons. If tigers and other animals are to survive well into the future, it is imperative that we re-establish corridors between isolated Protected Areas so that wildlife can move freely to meet their needs. We have to move beyond Protected Area conservation to landscape-level conservation. 

The future of the world’s forests hangs in the balance and what we need urgently is political will and wisdom. The public and the media have an important role to play in bringing this about.

^{From the documentary-The Truth About Tigers}
PK: The issue of wildlife being killed on roads is escalating, with roadkill numbers rising sharply. Measures like bans on night travel are failing to fully address the problem. The construction of roads that cut through forests is expanding, further endangering wildlife. Your documentary, ‘From Killer Roads to Humane Highways’ is painful to watch. In what ways have roads fragmented our forest ecosystems?

SD: Any infrastructure that bisects a natural habitat is known as a ‘Linear Intrusion’. Linear intrusions include roads and highways, railway lines, high tension power transmission lines and above-ground pipelines. While all these can fragment large areas of habitat into smaller pieces, leading to negative consequences, roads are perhaps the most deadly. 

When a new road is built through a forest, it has several major impacts: it bisects the habitat and cleaves it into two. The vehicles that ply on it day and night run over tens of thousands of creatures, great and small. Invasive plants take advantage of the opening created by the road and proliferate along its sides. The forest becomes more vulnerable to fire. After a few years, the road may become a four-lane or six lane highway, making it even more deadly.

Today, India has one the fastest growing road and highway networks in the world. Many sections run through National Parks and Sanctuaries, causing untold damage to wildlife. Fortunately, the dangers are finally being acknowledged. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a circular in May 2019 on “Principles to be adopted while considering the highway near or within wildlife sanctuaries/National Parks/Animal Corridors”. This circular instructs all implementing agencies to “spare sanctuaries/National Parks at the planning stage and wherever possible take a bypass/detour”. It also instructs all implementing agencies to follow the provisions of the manual titled ‘Eco-Friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear infrastructure on Wildlife’ prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India. Additionally, animal overpasses or underpasses have been built on sections of certain highways that pass through Protected Areas, helping to bring down road-related wildlife mortality. However, these measures are still in their infancy and a great deal more needs to be done. With sincerity and sensitivity, we can have good roads while protecting our precious biodiversity.

For those who are interested, my film, ‘From Killer Roads to Humane Highways’, can be viewed on YouTube.

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PK: Society and governing systems have begun to view our forests and wildlife primarily as sources of tourism income. What have been your observations on this matter?

SD: Unlike in the 1970s and 80s, India now has a large, upwardly mobile middle class with an insatiable thirst for recreation. Wildlife reserves have become favourite destinations, and resorts of all sizes have mushroomed around many popular forests, often in violation of laws and ethics. Jeep-based, tiger-centric tourism has become the norm, and people rush around madly for a ‘darshan’ of the big cat, with little or no interest in ecology, conservation or, even, simply enjoying the forest or the other creatures that live there. Wildlife reserves have come to be regarded as open-air zoos that exist purely for our amusement. 

The fact is, recreation is only a tiny part of why we need to protect forests and wildlife. While I’m not for banning all tourism, I’m saddened by the lack of vision and imagination on the part of all concerned in designing tourism in a way that it is least intrusive and most educative. There are so many wonderful examples from around the world, and a few from India, that can be emulated or adapted, but we are still stuck in the madness of jeeps rushing around in clouds of dust, harassing a few habituated tigers. 

There is no dearth of good ideas or the talent to implement them. But for these to flower and bear fruit, the government must loosen its monopolistic stranglehold on forest management. I, for one, would love to see at least one ‘model wildlife reserve’ where the best practices are implemented in wildlife research, monitoring, protection and tourism, in collaboration with innovative institutions and individuals from outside the government system.