The Tigers' Tale

By Catherine Barr and Tara Anand

From the author of the beautiful Fourteen Wolves comes another incredible true story of rewilding.

Perfect for children aged 7+

Magnificent, powerful and mysterious, the tiger is one of the world's most iconic animals. It is also one of most endangered. For hundreds of years, these exceptional beasts have been hunted, pushing them to the brink of extinction. How can we save them?

This compelling tale tells the turbulent true story of the tragic disappearance of tigers from Panna Tiger Reserve in India and, finally, their heroic return. We follow a group of tigers, each with their own individual traits, on their adventures. Together, we learn how the tiger experts introduce tigers to the reserve and track them as they explore, hunt, play, swim, mate and make the forest their home. However, all is not as it seems – and there is danger lurking in the shadows of the emerald forest.

With evocative storytelling combined with clear non-fiction information by eco-expert Catherine Barr and lush illustrations by Tara Anand, this story illuminates exactly why tiger conservation is so important.

'Catherine Barr's book reminds us all that the threat of tiger trade still lingers and there is no room for complacency.' EIA (Environmental Investigation Agency)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Apr 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781526659354

Catherine Barr

After campaigning with Greenpeace for years, Catherine Barr trained as a journalist and became an editor at the Natural History Museum. Catherine now writes non-fiction books that aim to inspire children to explore, understand and take action to protect the natural world. Catherine has now written over 35 books. Her book, Fourteen Wolves: a rewilding story was shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People's Book Prize 2022. She is a proud Patron of Reading for a local school and visits schools all over the country to run workshops inspired by the issues explored in her books. Catherine Barr is the author of several other volumes in Libraries Unlimited's Best Books series (Best Books for Children and Best Books for Middle School and Junior High Readers).

Book preview

Tiger tiger, burning bright

With their flame-coloured coats and amber eyes, tigers are mysterious, majestic and exceptionally powerful.

There are more wild tigers in India than anywhere else on Earth. Legends about the Royal Bengal tiger are woven into the country’s long history. Yet tigers here, and everywhere, have always been vulnerable.

For hundreds of years, these iconic animals have been cruelly hunted by poachers – people who illegally kill wild animals – causing their numbers to dangerously dwindle. But it was not until 1975 that all tigers were finally declared an endangered species. There were once nine types of tiger, but three are already extinct.

Despite this, people are still killing tigers and destroying the wild places where they live.

Once, over 100,000 tigers prowled forests and grasslands across Asia. Today, less than 4,000 tigers roam free. Humans are pushing these magnificent beasts to the brink of extinction.

We must ensure that the fiery elegance of the tiger will forever burn bright.

How can we save them?

Prologue

The Emerald Forest

This tale unfolds in Panna, Central India, a dusty landscape that transforms into an Emerald Forest.

For much of the year, Panna’s rolling hills of dry forest, high grasslands and hidden gorges bake in relentless sun. But with the arrival of monsoon rains Panna comes to life, dripping in shiny shades of green. The swollen waters of the Ken River crash over towering waterfalls as the river snakes through the reserve.

From the ground to the sky, Panna bursts with life. Antelopes, gazelles and deer graze on the high plains. Porcupines shuffle through deep bushes. Leopards and sloth bears lounge amongst shady trees and tiny rusty-spotted cats slink through the dark forest at night. Snakes ripple across