GREETINGS DUE TO MELANISTIC TIGER (1993-94) FROM MR. BIMAL BHANJDEO, BARIPADA

While sorting a pile of papers this morning (22 August 2023), two envelopes each with a greeting card from 1993-94 slipped out like a God's gift for me. For many months I was searching for this card and Mr. Bimal Chandra Bhanjdeo for obvious reasons. They have sentimental attachment to the subject and Similipal. With and without help of molecular studies, science has revealed many truths in the past 30 years about colour types in tiger. I fondly continue to remember Mr. Bimal ji and people of Mayurbhanj. In the photo above, Bimal is stooping down to see the method of tracing a tiger pugmark. He participated in tiger census operation in Similipal sometime around 1995 as an unofficial member. 

At that time there was an instruction from Director, Project Tiger, Government of India, to involve non-official members in tiger tracking census. When we circulated the news, there were many many letters and applicants, including people from neighbouring states (Bihar/Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh) and even from outside India. An elderly lady from Africa had joined in one year, and had gone happy with the experience the technique gave her.  

MULLER AN INSPIRATION FOR A COMPILATION

I purchased the (1962) genetics book on works of H.J. Muller on 26 Jan 1972 from a book exhibition. Then I was a student of BSc Honours. It impressed me that Muller's students had arranged the contents for publication in 1962. Between 1911 and 1961, in 50 years, Muller had produced a huge list of 336 pathbreaking titles either read or published. Again, sometime in 1990s, I had an occasion to look at Muller’s book. I got inspired and wished, to bring out a compilation of all my work. Between 1974 and then, I had completed spells of work across Mahanadi, Chambal and Similipal, and with species from aphid insects to crocodilians, large wetland fauna, the tiger and its associates, the elephant, etc. Now, as I prepare archiving my work and collections, I hope that a day will come in some shape when my wish will be fulfilled,