anil mistry
Anil Mistry once poached tigers in the Sundarbans. Now he saves them. Media celebrate this transformation — and yes, it matters. He has helped protect many tigers and shown villages that coexistence is possible. But the spotlight on Anil Mistry exposes another truth: those who always respected nature remain invisible.
Why is redemption a stronger story than lifelong integrity? Countless villagers never hunted, never set snares, never profited from killing. Their quiet protection rarely makes headlines. As our cornerstone on Coexistence on the Frontlines shows, community engagement works because of the many who already chose coexistence, not just those who changed sides.
We welcome Anil Mistry’s change of heart. But true conservation heroes are not only ex-poachers turned guardians. They are also those who never betrayed the tiger in the first place. They deserve more than silence.
The Anil Mistry article
Based on The Better India, India
Photo via The Better India.
