Rustam
There is absolutely no doubt tigers are being poached in India, in fact it was not many years ago that a Gurkha was caught getting on a bus headed out of Ranthambore with the remains of two tigers he had poached wrapped in a bit of sacking. I still reckon though, the main threat to the countryside in India, remains people pressure, and the ever increasing population of the country.
On my recent trip to India, I had the good fortune of befriending the range officer for the forest reserve at Molem in Goa. We sat on a hill and heard the calling of a pair of mating tigers that had come across the border from Karnataka and I managed to get some good shots of Gaur and sambhar, which I will attempt to post up here.
I notice you are from Bangalore. Have you visited Van Ingen, the taxidermist ? I have a Tiger and Himalayan Bear rug mounts done by him many years ago.They really are works of art.
I agree with you about Nilgai. They are like shooting donkeys. Now wildboar, driven towards the line by local villagers, on the gallop,grunting,clicking their tusks together and full of attitude....now that's what I call sport.
M.