The author, K. Ullas Karanth, is a distinguished scientist, noted for his long-term scientific research on tigers as well as for his efforts to promote science-based conservation. He is also, importantly, a conservation activist with an optimistic view of the future of wild tigers, provided the conservation machinery aligns itself with qualified scientists, adopts greater transparency in its methods, and steers clear from what he terms ‘wasteful schemes’ and ‘corruption-prone escapism’.