Aditya 'Dicky' Singh, the man who gave up Civil Services to build a tiger reserve, dies at 55

Aditya 'Dicky' Singh, prominent wildlife conservator and photographer, passed away at the age of 55 on Wednesday, September 6. The news of Singh's sudden death has left the Internet and India's wildlife community in shock.

Conservation biologist and photographer Neha Sinha broke the news of Singh's death on X (formerly Twitter).

In his passing, the world lost a true champion of wildlife conservation. Aditya 'Dicky' Singh's love for tigers and the wild has left an indelible mark on Ranthambore (which he made his home), its tigers, and the hearts of those who knew him.

Friends, fans remember 'Dicky'

Condolences have been pouring in on social media ever since the news of his death broke. 

Singh's demise marks the end of a remarkable journey that spanned decades, marked by dedication to the protection of tigers and the wilderness. 

Call of the wild

• Aditya Singh's journey into the world of wildlife conservation was far from conventional.
• Born to an army family, he initially pursued a career in civil engineering and briefly served in the Central Secretariat Service.
• However, his heart stayed in the wild, as he couldn't ignore the allure of Ranthambore National Park, where he first saw a tiger in the 1980s.

New beginning

• In 1998, Aditya Singh took a bold and surprising step by quitting his bureaucratic career and relocating to Sawai Madhopur, a town adjacent to the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan.
• His wife, Poonam Singh, an artist, also shared his passion for the wild, and together they started their journey that would reshape their lives and the destiny of the local wildlife and people around the tiger abode.

Photography and tourism: Means to conserve

• Aditya's transition to wildlife photography was swift and became much-admired for his knack of capturing moments in the lives of tigers and other creatures of the jungle.
• Meanwhile, Poonam Singh established the Ranthambore Bagh Lodge, for visitors to provide them with an opportunity to experience the peaceful co-existence of humans and tigers.

The Bhadlav Tiger Reserve

• Beyond the lodge and his photography, the couple saw a pressing need to expand the safe habitat for tigers and began purchasing land from local farmers near the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve's borders.
• This land would later become the Bhadlav Tiger Reserve, an extension of the Ranthambore.

Community engagement

• The couple actively engaged in inclusive conservation, convincing villagers to refrain from deforestation and providing alternative livelihoods.
• They also employed locals as forest guards, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among the very people living alongside the creatures.

Aditya 'Dicky' Singh's contributions to tiger conservation extended beyond building a tiger reserve and photography. He passionately advocated for the protection of these predators, even through the controversies and challenges. His dedication to preserving the tiger's natural habitat remained unwavering until the end, and he will live on through the forests he helped restore, the communities he empowered, and the countless individuals he inspired to join the fight for wildlife conservation.

Aditya 'Dicky' Singh is survived by his wife Poonam Singh, and their daughter, Nyra.

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