Summary: (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/wp-content/uploads/billy-at-twycross.gif)India's 'tiger man" and wildlife conservationist Billy Arjan Singh (http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/interviews/bilarjsingh.php) passed away on Jan 1, 2010, which is also the year of the tiger according to the Chinese calendar. He was 92 years old. In Part-2 of our conversation Priya Commander, Billy's youngest niece fondly shares some private moments of her intensely private uncle. Often perceived as obstinate or cantankerous by others, Billy was a very warm and fun-loving person, who loved to have his extended family around him during Christmas time according to Priya. Billy's passion for the big cats was clearly evident in the way his home Tiger Haven was built - it was a place for the big cats. He famously built his mother a haven that came to be known as "Gran's Cottage." He converted a cage and put it under a tree and that was the safe haven for his mother to sit and do her daily crossword puzzles. A polyglot, Billy was fluent English, Hindi and the local dialects of the region. He loved to read and had an extensive collection of books including signed copies of Jim Corbett (http://kamlashow.com/content/900550/maincontent/mp3/broadband/RememberingBillArjanSingh_Part1_KamlaShow.mp3)'s "Man Eaters of Kumaon." Unfortunately most of his book collection was ruined during the monsoon rains a couple of years ago. Besides fighting for the rights of the "big cats" of India, Billy was also a writer, and wrote books about the wildlife, especially in Dudhwa National Forest. Billy's story underscores the power of what a single person can achieve if they put their mind and body to it. For over 0 years Billy (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9ecfb35c-023f-11df-8b56-00144feabdc0.html) worked and fought for the rights of "the big cats" of India. He was "tenacious" and "obstinate" in his single-minded pursuit to save the tigers of India. It was that obstinate and single-minded streak that helped in creating Dudhwa National Forest (http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/interviews/bilarjsingh.php), which is the only national forest in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. He successfully helped rehabilitate "the big cats" into the jungles near Dudhwa. The first "big cat" that was rehabilitated was Prince, followed by Harriet and Tara. Priya was born and brought up in London, but spent a lot of time at Tiger Haven with her uncle. In case you missed, you might want to listen to Part-1 (http://kamlashow.com/podcast/2010/01/23/remembering-indias-tigerman-billy-arjan-singh-part-1/) of the conversation, where Priya talks about how Price, Harriet and Tara arrived at Tiger Haven and how those big cats were rehabilitated into the jungles of India.
