Billy Arjan Singh begins his day with 25 sit-ups and ends it with a customary peg. He’s 89, but loves ice creams and chocolates like a child!
And lo and behold! He doesn’t forget to ‘propose’ a young single lady even at first meet with a rider: “Look if you get married to me, you soon will be a widow.”
But why didn’t he marry? “I never found the right kind of a girl for myself. But when I found one, she refused me and I was left heart broken,” tells Billy with a laughter. Born on August 15, 1917 in Gorakhpur, he was named Arjan but his aunt called him ‘Bill’ which later on became Billy!
Billy has devoted almost 60 years of his life to welfare of Indian wildlife and its conservation. His paradise, ‘Tiger Haven’ is located in Dudhwa, right outside the Dudhwa Nation Park. “This is the place I stay in throughout the year apart from monsoons because that is the time when it gets flooded,” he says.
Not many people know that this Allahabad University graduate has spent five years of his life serving the British Indian Army from 1940-45, during World War II. “I was in the artillery division and went to Iraq and Iran. However, the Army that time was not well-equipped and we had to come back,” tells Billy.
He is very fond of reading and listening to western classical music. He says, “I detest Indian music. It bores me. I like western classical music.” He prefers reading Conan Doyle. He has written seven books on wildlife. And his favourite book is Prince of Cats.
{{/usCountry}}He is very fond of reading and listening to western classical music. He says, “I detest Indian music. It bores me. I like western classical music.” He prefers reading Conan Doyle. He has written seven books on wildlife. And his favourite book is Prince of Cats.
{{/usCountry}}Talking about wildlife he says, “It is essential to have forests for human beings. Because if there are lesser forests then there will be less oxygen which in turn will directly affect human beings. Secondly, if there are no trees then soil erosion will be a common feature and it will affect the water table.”
“The best way to protect wildlife is to leave it alone. There should be no intervention whatsoever,” says he.
He has reared one tigress, Tara and three leopards, Prince, Harriet and Juliet. “I bought Tara from Twycross Zoo in London in 1976 and then left her in the jungle in 1978. However, I kept seeing Tara even after I left her in the jungle. Later she gave a number of cubs,” he claims.
Billy’s contribution to Indian wildlife is phenomenal. It was because of his efforts that Dudhwa became a National Park in 1977. Similarly, two years later, the tiger reserve and Rhino Rehabilitation projects were started.
“The Rhino Rehabilitation project was started with seven Rhinos in 1983 and now it has 22 Rhinos,” he informs excitedly.