Interview of The Tigerman by Dr. Marie Muller

An Interview of Billy Arjan Singh 

                     by
            Dr. Marie Muller

When you turn on the computer and start web surfing you never know where virtual trip can take you...in real life!!!

You start to make friends all over the world you share or discuss thoughts, life, values.......you talk about different cultures issues and u learn things. In my case, I learned about wildlife and specially the tigers...

Because of the conservation issues the tiger cause...tiger which are not man eater by nature are symbol of  eco system and its health.  Then a friend, K K Mishra, from Utter pradesh kheri Dudhwa  told me about a legend in tiger conservation, a real fighter and  his books,

 But most important for me was that he was still alive!!

 I found amazing that tigers have probably been more written about than other animals..(Billy wrote this)

 then i thought that I had to meet that man.

 I wrote some greetings from Brazil

 .and I went to dudhwa first time in 2007,,it was elections period and couldn’t meet him....

    again I went to bhira farm..i got the chance to became a family member,

   , thanks again to KK Mishra uncle's help. So, now I had family in bhira...

  It was october16,, 2009, at 16 pm

 ..diwali period.

 ..Lets go meet Billy

 Yea tiger haven near. so by bike after 25 minutes I could not believe my eyes

 Yes sitting in front of a table full of papers, letters, manuscripts, and books. Totally concentrated....

 ,It was Billy

 ...simply the legend...

 Human being, sitting in his  pajamas’...and with 2 servants near..

hello dr namaste sat sri akal my name is Marie I am from brazil , I am a far away big fan of you and your work. Its a honor to meet you .I wish if you could give me some minutes to talk.( by the way, this conversation turned to be one hour...).....

 .thank you for your time..

 he looked at me and gave me a smile, stood up, despite the can...came to my direction.

 .so gentleman. We shook hands...I helped him to sit again..

 Yea Namaste,

 can I get you some water, its very hot,,

 yea ,please many many thanks I said..

 he smiled and ask ..what are you doing here. what do you do. why you are here..(like he were the reporter...)

 I explain that I work as doctor, in a government hospital,  and animal lover ,,

 I travel to visit India and the jungles and very interested about tigers.

 told that my country Brazil ,we  are also facing  difficult situation, like India

 on wild life conservation issues, massive animal traffic , poaching. corruption ...bureaucracy.

 Amazon jungle destruction, and also Atlantic forests..

 .its a big country. few people on ground. to really work. they have good will but we know sometimes its not good enough...we really lack of eyes and legs .haha

 He smiled..(I don’t  know if  it was not a smile like ,,oh god all world is the same...yea I think it was this kind of smile..)..

 ( I read how this man fought and how he always was so critical at the functioning of the Forest department..)

 so I could see through his smile that understood what I was talking about...

but despite all these ,we can see some members of government fighting...yea...they go like little steps but. we can use some changes..

 In brazil we do not have any more some animals and many are on verve of extinction...

 and then I asked about tigers in India...what he can say to me. how he felt about it , I asked him about what he wrote that "TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, FOR ONCE THE SYMBOLIC TIGER IS GONE , THE REST WILL FOLLOW IN SHORT ORDER ."

 he was not happy....he said he was depressed...he was disappointed ..and he said that people should read more and he was still pessimist the future of the tiger.....

 he said about the time he was living, the remaining days of his life. he wanted only to read and he was waiting for new autobiography, that he have just finished...and maybe released in few months (ps. this was october.2009..now , july 2010 ,,,Jairaj Singh told me still couple months to be launched in delhi and Bombay)...

 but he showed enthusiasm when his nephew Jairaj  arrived and started explain about TIGER HAVEN project..

 a wild life center.. ( I must add here the website, because now its really under construction !!! its tigerhavensociety.org.)

 then I asked him if this project also include his own experience .the leopards and then tigress. TARA   a zoo cub back in jungle to live freely as a wild animal.. ....the successful. she was..

 he smile and said. no..

 and he asked me how I knew about him and his work...I said friend name , KK Mishra ,that admires you as a guru. because your actions on behalf conservation...he told me a lot about you ...

billy said yea I know this guy he’s very fond of animals...good !

he remember. he is  from lakhimpur na...

 yea I reply...

 then  billy wanted me to choose a book from his library ..and gave me ...I choose 'the legend of the man eater "....

I could see he was tired.....

 then, as it was diwali time I  offered him a candle as a wish that he could have good days calm days...good health..

 he sounds perfectly lucid. over his nineties....only a common old man disease...

 I am geriatric doctor so I can tell you how happy I was to find him like that...very   conscientious ....good conversation...

He thanked  me........

 but still talk to me little life things, and asked me to talk to his servant ,that was suffering from some lung condition....

I thought this guy is wonderful. he cares...

he made me feel very comfortable with him, and I felt that I could even tease him....I asked if he needs a secretary. because loots of papers and letters he had to reply

 he said yes

I see you next year...and smiled..

 then I said ok doctor I will come back...

Unfortunately since last January...we can be with him only through the books...

 and India, specially have to thank forever this man

 his vision about environment....

 Dudhwa

and I think that no medals are good enough to say

 Thank you

Billy Arjan Singh

(Billy Arjan Singh Interviewed by Marie Muller)
( इस एतिहासिक वार्तालाप का हिन्दी संस्करण देखने के लिए यहाँ क्लिक करे।)

Dr. Marie Muller

(The auther is a Doctor(Medicine) in Sao Paulo Brazil, She may be reached at muller2ster@gmail.com.)