Tiger

He ruled the forest since the day he was born,

He was the undoubted prince, albeit sans a crown,

From his head to toe he was covered in a yellow coat,

The long black stripes broke the monotone.

Amongst the deer grazing at a proximity of a few feet,

He lay sprawling, the synchrony a visual treat,

Neither the tall grass nor the towering trees,

Could hide the grandeur of this majestic beast.

He spent the day lazing, doing nothing at all,

As dusk approached he stiffened, braced with a growl,

With his head held high he rose to take a stroll,

None dared cross his path, he was a tiger on the prowl.

Buffaloes, Gaurs, Deer or Wilder beast,

He could choose any for his daily feast,

With silent strides and a powerful pounce,

He would strangulate his prey on the shuddering ground.

Hunger satiated, he retired into the woods,

His gaze conveyed he preferred solitude,

He wandered around and marked his territory,

He liked to saunter within his chosen boundary.

His home, the jungles, that once stretched far and wide,

Now small patches because of human invade,

The expanse of his promenade now reduced to a few steps,

He could barely walk around or stretch his legs.

With the wilderness and his substinence gone,

His numbers dwindled, his era bygone,

He tried to adapt by picking goats, pigs, sheep and hen,

Tasted easy blood, hence got targeted by men.

He fell prey to the poachers greed,

They lured and killed many of his creed,

His brutal strength no match for their prowess,

His shiny fur fetched them many dollars.

The likes of Corbett, raised their voice to fight,

To create awareness and give him his due right,

To protect him and his off springs they put pressure,

Many nations declared him an endangered treasure.

Reserves were created for this majestic beast,

Left in the wilderness to procreate and breed,

Today, in captivity his numbers have gradually grown,

In his natural habitat he would flourish, burgeon.

To survive extinction he needs continued protection,

Human greed needs to be overcome with compassion,

To sight him in person would be a gift to the next generation,

Else we would be left with only his pictures and imagination.