Description
About the BookThis book “Forest Life in India” Best is an engaging account of the author’s experiences within the dense forests of India. The book captures the vivid details of wildlife, the natural environment, and the challenges faced by those living and working in the forests. Best provides observations on the diverse species of animals and plants, the life of local tribes, and the intricacies of forest management, offering readers a comprehensive view of India’s forest ecosystem during his time.About the AuthorHon. James W. Best, was an author and observer of Indian wildlife and forest life during the colonial period. His work provides valuable insights into the natural environment and the lives of people in India’s forests, highlighting the rich biodiversity and the complexities of managing and preserving these ecosystems.IntroductionIt is natural that the main theme of a forest officer’s book should be an account of work and sport in the forests that he has visited. I was fortunate in having opportunity to study tiger, buffalo, and bison as well as the many deer to be found in the forests of the Central Provinces of India. Their slaughter was of less interest to me than their pursuit, for which reason I have tried to give so far as possible the point of view of the native hunter, whether as a tracker or as an unarmed beater in a tiger beat, both of which I have experienced.There is, too, a great human interest in those vast forests of India where man is still primitive, and it is possible to contrast their state with that of the highly developed civilization of the more populated parts of the country. I have given my own experiences of the bribery, extortion, nepotism, and forced labour from which the humble millions of India suffer at the hands of their better-placed fellow-countrymen.
