Grrrrl Power: Spice Girl Mel C Backs Campaign To Save Wild Tigers

The singer has supported the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s ‘TigerTime’ campaign since its launch in 2011.

And, with as few as 3,000 tigers left in the wild globally – a population decline of 97% since the turn of the last century – the 41-year-old was keen to see one of the big cats up close. 

Ranthambore, in Rajasthan, is home to around 50 tigers and is well-known for its stunning scenery and photogenic inhabitants. 

The pop star braved temperatures which averaged 45 degrees Celsius – perfect weather for tiger sightings as there is little foliage to hide behind and the lure of water was guaranteed to bring tigers to the lakes and water holes.    

Mel said: "Seeing a tiger in the wild has been a dream since childhood. 

“It was hard to believe that finally I got the chance to see these beautiful cats in one of the greatest tiger habitats in the world.

“The last time I was in India was a quick in and out performance at a music video awards show in Delhi when I was with the Spice Girls, so the chance to spend a little more time and to explore this fascinating country was really exciting."

The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and its founder, the artist and conservationist David Shepherd CBE, have been working to protect wild tiger populations since the 1970s and launched TigerTime to reach out to new audiences.

Melanie spent three days in the national park, guided by fellow TigerTime campaign supporter and wildlife filmmaker Nalla Muthu, who is working on his fourth film chronicling the life of Ranthambore’s tigers.

Mel said: “From knowing very little about tigers, watching them at such close quarters and with such an expert guide was a huge, huge honour. 

"It has made me realise just how important tigers are not just to the forests they inhabit but to the wider biodiversity of the place and our planet."

Muthu's current film revolves around the tigress T19 (also known as Krishna) and her three near-adult cubs who, by October this year, will have left their mother in search of territories of their own.

"We saw three cubs, two females and one male, and almost fully-grown at 14 months old their play fighting is getting a little more serious," Mel said.  

"Watching the tiger family was extraordinary and a story very quickly began to unfold as the cubs jostled for position.

“The family dynamic was shifting and the mother was constantly breaking up sibling quarrels and pushing away one of the female cubs. 

"That I witnessed their battles and play all so, so close to me was both petrifying and a privilege.

“It was quite literally breathtaking and, at times, very emotional too.”

Already banned by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), the black market trade in tiger parts continues to be a serious threat to wild tiger populations, something that the TigerTime team is working to address. 

The charity funds undercover wildlife crime investigation teams, anti-poaching patrols, park protection, alternative livelihood schemes and education programmes in India, Thailand and Russia. 

With the TigerTime petition to ban the trade in tiger parts from all sources - both wild and captive - forming the backbone of the campaign’s awareness-raising drive.

As a result of successful conservation campaigns, a recent all-India census by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) put the number of Indian tigers at 2,226 - an increase in 30% on the last count.

“Sadly, human encroachment and the illegal trade in tiger parts for a mainly far Eastern market threatens to destroy not only this species but the balance of the vital forest systems they inhabit,” Mel added. 

“It is really hard to understand why anyone would want to harm these amazing creatures. They are so big and powerful but also so incredibly graceful. 

"That these creatures could one day be extinct in the wild is an absolute travesty. It’s our collective responsibility to protect them.”

“Melanie bought luck with her,” said award-winning Indian filmmaker Nalla, after they followed the tiger family on each of their trips into the park.

Melanie said she wanted to continue to fight for tiger conservation and create greater awareness across the globe. 

“The experience was magical and saving them and their wild spaces is something that I am passionate about," she said. 

"I want my daughter and her children to grow up in a world with wild tigers, that’s why the TigerTime campaign is close to my heart. 

“I urge everyone who loves tigers, who is passionate about our forests and our wild spaces to support the campaign too.”

On her last day in Ranthambore, Melanie visited the temple of Ganesh and received a blessing, before bidding farewell to India. 

"Our final trip into the park was bitter sweet, it was sad leaving and saying our goodbyes but the experience of sharing time with the tigers we were so lucky to see will remain with me forever," she added. 

Melanie travelled to Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan and stayed at Dev Villas as the guest of Mr Balendu Singh on the second leg of a two-stop holiday to India, organised with the help of Indian travel specialists, Indus Experiences.

Join Mel C's fight to save the tiger at www.tigertime.info