A Majestic Chronicle of Wilderness, Valor, and Heritage
Col. Kesari Singh Kanota – The Tiger is not merely a memoir—it is a vivid tapestry of Rajasthan’s royal legacy, its wilderness past, and the life of one of India’s most fascinating soldier-naturalists, Col. Kesari Singh Kanota. This book stands as both a personal history and a cultural document that bridges the past grandeur of princely India with the evolving spirit of conservation.
Authorship and Publishing
Compiled by: Thakur Raghunath Singh Kanota, the author’s son and an eloquent narrator in his own right.
Assistance by: Harsh Vardhan, and Ravi Singh (WWF India), among others.
Publisher: Sushil Kumari, Narain Niwas, Jaipur
Design & Production: It’s A Design Studio, Jaipur
Published: May 2025
ISBN: 978-93-6045-900-0
Price: ₹399
Who Was Col. Kesari Singh Kanota?
Col. Kesari Singh (1892–1980), known affectionately as “Tiger Kesri,” was a scion of the Kanota royal family in Jaipur and a man of many avatars: a soldier, a poet, a wildlife expert, and an administrator par excellence. Educated at Mayo College, Ajmer, he served in senior positions in Kashmir, Gwalior, and Jaipur States—handling forests, public works, and police.
But beyond his bureaucratic distinction, he was most revered for his deep connection with nature and wildlife. A man who not only hunted in the age of shikars but later became an ardent advocate of conservation, writing six books on wildlife and ecosystems.
Highlights from the Book
Tales of the Tiger
From the slopes of Kashmir to the forests of Gwalior and the rugged terrain of Ranthambhore, Col. Kesari Singh’s encounters with tigers and other wild beasts are narrated with poetic flair, scientific precision, and heartfelt reverence. He hosted Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh on tiger safaris, and wrote passionately about animal behavior, including that of sloth bears, panthers, and even rare Himalayan species.
Heritage and Legacy
The book is also a story of place. From his ancestral Kanota haveli to the self-designed Kesar Garh Castle (built without an architect, inspired by wild nests), Col. Kesari’s life is as much about conserving culture as it is about conserving forests.
History through Personal Lens
The narrative threads together familial anecdotes, letters, and diaries. With deep links to General Amar Singh (his brother), Sir Pratap Singh of Marwar, and Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur, it offers insider perspectives on princely India’s transition into the modern republic.
Conservation Before It Was Cool
Decades before “Project Tiger” became policy in 1973, Col. Kesari Singh was warning of declining wildlife. His writings on forest restoration, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss are eerily prophetic.
Writing Style & Content
The book is laced with elegant, often witty prose. His reflections—on the ethics of hunting, beauty of the wilderness, or structure of rifles—are seasoned with old-world charm yet brimming with ecological foresight. The chapters such as Hints on Tiger Shooting, Wildlife Laws, and Vocabulary and Animal Behavior make this part memoir, part wildlife manual.
Why It Matters – For Rajasthan, For India
This book is a must-read for anyone passionate about biodiversity, history, and cultural landscapes. For the Rajasthan Biodiversity Network audience, The Tiger is both a tribute and a toolkit—a rare document that fuses Rajput gallantry with ecological sensitivity.
Col. Kesari Singh’s life reminds us that conservation is not just a modern concept—it is rooted in our soil, our stories, and our responsibilities.
A widely held belief is that scavengers do not feed on the carcass of a dead tiger because even after it is dead, they continue to fear it.
After two sub-adult tigers were poisoned to death by villagers, a senior forest official remarked that the lacerations on their bodies were not caused by scavengers but were the handiwork of a male tiger. However, their bodies had been found approximately 24 hours after they died. Both of them had lacerations on their bodies that could have been caused by scavengers feeding on them, or wounds caused before or after their deaths. The forest official argued that even once it is dead, no scavenger dares touch a tiger because they continue to maintain a healthy fear of it. He added that there are many scavengers in the jungle that show such behaviour- the most prominent being golden jackals, striped hyenas etc. At face value, this appears to be very insightful knowledge possessed only by an individual with deep knowledge and much experience.
However, in my experience, monitor lizards, crows, vultures, mongooses, wild boar, ratels (honey badgers) have shown absolutely no hesitation in feeding on a dead tiger, but I do not know what golden jackals and striped hyenas would do in such a situation.
However, Colonel Kesri Singh ji, has mentioned an incident in his book Hints on Tiger Shooting, published in 1965, that brings much clarity to the issue. He writes that he accompanied the celebrated American polo player, Stephen ‘Laddie’ Sanford, when hunting a man-eating tiger near Ramsagar. This episode dates back to an era when polo players were celebrated and interestingly even then, the city of Jaipur used to be a Mecca for polo just as it is today. Thus, Sanford was not just a polo player, but also very close to the Jaipur Durbar.
Lady Edwina Mountbatten (Countess Mountbatten of Burma) (1900-1960) pictured with Polo player Mr Stephen “Laddie” Sanford (1899-1977). Date: 1927
In order to hunt the man-eating tiger, Kesri Singh ji had a buffo bait tied to a tree to lure the tiger and also tied a human effigy made of cloth to it, in the hope that as a man-eater, it would find the bait particularly enticing. A ‘regular’ tiger would in all likelihood not approach a bait arranged in this manner. While we cannot comment on the accuracy of this account, according to Kesri Singh ji, the tiger first attacked the cloth effigy and then killed the buffalo. Sanford easily shot the tiger with one bullet from a machan. By the time the tiger had been shot, night had fallen and both men were compelled to spend the night on the machan.
During the night, Kesri Singh ji woke up at 2 am to find a golden jackal feeding on one of the tiger’s legs. Thinking that driving the jackal away be in vain, for it would only return, he promptly shot it dead. At dawn, they discovered that not only had the tiger’s leg been fed on, but the jackal had also fed on it’s back, causing significant damage to it’s skin. Naturally, Kesri Singh ji was crestfallen to see his friend’s trophy damaged irreparably.
At least they believed that a golden jackal could feed on a dead tiger without fear. Thus, the notion that wild animals will continue to fear the dreaded tiger even after it has died is nothing more than a popular myth.
Authors:
Dr. Dharmendra Khandal (L) has worked as a conservation biologist with Tiger Watch – a non-profit organisation based in Ranthambhore, for the last 16 years. He spearheads all anti-poaching, community-based conservation and exploration interventions for the organisation.
Mr. Ishan Dhar (R) is a researcher of political science in a think tank. He has been associated with Tiger Watch’s conservation interventions in his capacity as a member of the board of directors.