Caught in the crossfire of forest destruction and poaching, the tiger is fast slipping towards extinction. The tiger's slide is being mirrored by a rising tide of climate-related problems facing every country in the world, particularly India.

The voice of the tiger says: "Leave Me Alone". All it needs to survive is sufficient forested space, plus isolation and protection from humans. In return its regenerated forests offer humans their only real hope to counter the worst impacts of climate change, by turning nature's self-repairing systems over to the task of sequestering and storing carbon, moderating floods and droughts and ensuring both water and food security. Community-owned Nature Conservancies could also offer employment to millions of people on the Indian subcontinent.