JV and THE BIG CATS

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Founder: John Varty


	Against the backdrop of the dwindling tiger populations in the wilds, Tiger Canyons was established 25 km north west of the town of Philippolis on the Van der Kloof Lake in the Karoo of South Africa. Tiger Canyons is the brainchild of John Varty, a South African conservationist and filmmaker who specializes in Big Cats....read more Tiger Safaris @ Tiger Canyons: Bookings and more information or email [email protected] Tigress Julie Lodge At Tiger Canyons, four litter of cubs are providing us with the finest photo opportunities in our history...read more The Power of the Photograph Celebrating Tigers by Alex Kirichko I am extremely proud to have been a collaborator on the finest photographic Tiger Book ever produced. It is called "Celebrating Tigers"....read more Pictures by Christo Schmidt during his recent exclusive tiger safari with JV. Christo and his family stayed at the new Tigress Julie Lodge Tibo Produces White cubs The photographic opportunities are outstanding as all three cubs are confident and becoming habituated.... read more Tigress Panna and her cubs The Indian Connection Greatly inspired by the film "Living with Tigers", Dr Pabla has reintroduced Tigers into Panna Reserve, after they became locally extinct....read more Tigress Jameez basking in morning light in front of Tigress Julie Lodge. Picture credit: Juta Jacobi Desertification Sadly, in the Karoo of South Africa, at the turn of the previous century, man destroyed the symbiotic relationship between the land and the animals....read more Tigers Bird and Sunderban playing JV's response to Elayna Kinley letter: So let me ask you, apart from sitting behind your computer, what have you done for Tigers? ...read more Running on Empty In a recent interview, they asked me where I would like Tiger Canyons to be in ten years time. This is my reply...read more The Survivor The shy Tigress is gone and in her place a confident caring sharing mother, totally relaxed in our company has emerged. Panna nearly perished at birth. She was brutally attacked by Indira and Shadow. She remained without cubs for eight long years...read more Panna's cubs In pursuit of Alan Root. His ability to see the migrations through the eyes of a single wildebeest or the launching of millions of termites from the perspective of a single termite and communicate it to the viewing public, was unique...read more One of Panna's cubs...read more An open letter to the Headmistress of Dioscan School for Girls, the Headmaster of Saint Andrews College, the Teachers and Coaches....read more It's Finished We are extremely proud to announce that the Tigress Julie Lodge is open...read more King Corbett Today I embrace the attack by the Tiger Corbett as something I survived & which enriched my life. The passing of Corbett is the end of an era & hopefully new males will take Corbett's place...read more If it Pays, it Stays Everyday guests from the Timbavati lodges go out in search of the magnificent 100 pound tusker. Some guests are lucky enough to see and photograph him. One day this year, the guest will not carry a camera, he or she will have a high powered rifle...read more Best Photographs at Tiger Canyons After 2 years of drought, Gaia has blessed us with beautiful soaking rains...read more Lady Hunters Perhaps because women are the givers of life, that we cannot comprehend why they would want to kill a peaceful innocent animal like a giraffe or a majestic animal like a leopard....read more Londolozi and Love Londolozi’s relationship with leopard has evolved over many years. It is one of love! There are rangers and trackers who are more passionate about leopards than... read more Life is Not Fair Armed only with a stick, Phumlany took Corbett head on. He hit him 3 times before Corbett released me. There is no question that Phumlany Mchunu saved my life that day...read more The Trump Card JV agrees with Paul Watson..."Why Fighting Donald Trump on Climate Change is a Waste of Time and Actually Counter Productive" ...read more Most Admired People on the Planet. In a recent interview I was asked who I admired most on this planet. These are they...read more Captive vs Wild The tragic death of Vivienne McKenzie by a tiger at Laohu Valley is regrettable and I send my sincere condolences to Vivienne’s friends, family and colleagues. Vivienne gave years of her life to tiger conservation...read more To Trade or Not To Trade The truth is elephants, lions and tigers compete with human beings. Lions and tigers eat our domestic stock, elephants destroy our crops and eat the grass which could be eaten by our cows. They are competitors for space, food and water.... read more A Defining Moment The doctor said: Mr Varty has had malaria 13 times. He has had bilharzia twice. He has had 2 hernia operations. In 1995 he was in a helicopter accident where his vertebrae T9, L1 and L2 became compressed. In 2013 he was attacked by a tiger breaking 3 ribs on his right side. One rib is detached and free floating. In 2015 he had a cancerous melanoma removed from his upper left thigh. Yesterday he had two large Echinococcus hydatid cysts removed from his liver...read more I Have Lost A Friend His size was awesome, his nature was gentle. I estimated that a half a million images decorate the walls of houses in over 50 countries. I myself shot several hard drives of Seatao....read more JV Images is proud to produce their new song "Where will the Polar Bears go" on YouTube. A warning that it is not for the sensitive viewers... The World is Changing On the same day that Kenyatta torched 110 tons of ivory, 33 lions were being flown into South Africa from circuses and zoos that have been closed down in Peru and Columbia....read more An Open Letter to Head of United Nations Now Mr Ban Ki-moon, if I am a traveler wishing to visit a certain country, I can simply dial up the "cruelty status" of the respective country and if it has a poor "cruelty status", then I may consider not visiting that country...read more An Open Letter to Carte Blanche The farmer hates anything he cannot control. Therefore herds of migrating springbuck are a no, no! The farmer wants animals that he can contain, manipulate, subjugate and control. Nothing and nobody can compete with the farmer. Therefore jackals, caracals, baboons and even bushmen are destroyed on sight. Lions, leopards, cheetah and hyenas were killed a long time ago! ....read more Satellite Tracking I have accepted the Departments decision in good faith. It allows us to better keep track of the tigers. It helps scientists doing research to map the movements of the tigers....read more Protest song The song "Mugabe don't own the Sunrise" has been released from JV's new album "I Protest". The song highlights the poaching in Africa and the global wildlife trade. The album is dedicated to Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd: https://youtu.be/tL94jDvRGLU The Break Out A chain of events occurred at Tiger Canyons which have resulted in the death of Ussuri's male cub Antoine and the female cub Marguerite....read more Bad Tigers Neither the killing of Shine nor the killing of Tiger Boy is unnatural behaviour. By no stretch of the imagination can Corbett be labeled a "bad tiger."....read more Tiger Boy's Journey During his life Tiger Boy taught me many new things about Tiger behaviour. He was an Ambassador Tiger and readily posed for pictures. He had an extremely calm and relaxed nature. He is one of the few wild tigers that have ever greeted me with a chuff. He will be sorely missed....read more Creative conservation This last week at Tiger Canyons, Dr Ryan Nienaber and Dr Charlotte Mouiex expertly moved 5 tigers and put 3 tigresses on birth control. All of this in the space of a few hours....read more Sariska from Birth till Death He spent long periods of time playing with his cubs. This is unusual for a male tiger. Sariska always allowed Ussuri and the cubs to feed before him. This too is exceptional...read more An Open Letter to the President of South Africa: Operation Wild Lion Your government illegalizes the holding and breeding of lions in captivity. The government disassembles the canned lion industry over a period of 5 years...read more Breaking News: Mahindra kills Sariska and badly injures Sundarban...read more An Open Letter to Theo Bronkhorst When you sell in Vegas and other places, your brochures advertise that you can get the biggest lion for your client. It is well known that wealthy clients will pay extra for an extra large lion and elephant above 60 pounds ivory..........The next problem is you know that Cecil must weigh between 450 and 500 pounds. To kill an animal this size with a bow and arrow at night, you have to be highly skilled. Palmer spends his days looking in peoples mouths. He boasts he is good, but how good?....read more Cruel Nations "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated" Mahatma Gandhi We know that elephant cows that have lost their calves, grieve for long periods of time. The trauma and pain is extreme, easily on par with a human mother that has lost a young child....read more Subspecies or No Subspecies Only two tiger subspecies: "Our results support recognition of only two subspecies: the Sunda tiger, Panthera tigris sondaica, and the continental tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, which consists of two (northern and southern) management units"....read more Tigers Moving Forward Therefore it is with great pleasure that I can announce that a valuable piece of land in close proximity to Tiger Canyons has been purchased for tigers...read more Between a Rock and a Hard Place "The world is waiting For a new direction One based on the laws of nature” ...read more Don't Shoot the Messenger As predicted, my last newsletter drew attention from a wide variety of people. Some people hate the idea, some think it’s a good idea, others don’t know. Some want to crucify me. There is no shortage of passion in this emotive issue...read more The Healing Power of Cats I immediately sought out Runde and Sabi and did several hours lying underneath them. At the same time I synchronized my purring with theirs....read more Goddess Gaia What puzzles me is why the religious leaders of the world who are obviously so powerful are not more concerned for the planet and its future...read more Short video about Mother Nature: http://natureisspeaking.org/mothernature.html Ambassador Cats Does the future for large cats lie in forming relationships with sympathetic human beings? Are the "Ambassador Cats" merely front runners? Do they realize instinctively that their only chance of survival for their species is to form partnerships with the very species that is causing their demise?....read more Blondes Have More Fun Tibo mates continually for 4 days and shows no indication to return to the cubs during this time...read more "First, think, second, believe, third, dream and finally dare" Walt Disney Gaining Ground for Tigers JV's inviting likeminded friends to make a donation to the Tigress Julie Foundation. What do you achieve by donating: You create a home range of 1 800 hectares for 8 to 10 wild Tigers...read more Tibo's Dilemma Tigress Tibo and Cheetah Mara are running purely on instinct. They deserve our utmost admiration as they strive to successfully raise every one of their cubs....read more Sariska Fathers Cubs with White Tigress Tibo In his early years, because of his size and temperament, he was unable to capture a territory at Tiger Canyons. All the large males dominated him and he survived by literally running for his life....read more Cheetah Survival The tear line acts as natural dark glasses as it throws a shadow across the eyes of the diurnal cheetah In the Tiger Canyons experiment, we have discovered a second survival technique. A mother cheetah can produce her first litter of cubs at just 24 months....read more Extract from JV's Speech on Corbett's Freedom Day Rodney and Lorna Drew who created a new tiger area of over 1000 Ha for Tiger Corbett and Tigress Zaria The big cats have always fascinated me and in 2000 I dedicated my life to saving the most endangered of the big cats, the Tiger!....read more Corbett's Release - 30th August 2014 John Varty and Julie-ann Reid (who saved JV after Corbett attacked him a few years ago), sit with Corbett. Corbett was darted and moved from a small boma to his new area. Shortly after this picture was taken, Corbett recovered from the darting and moved to freedom. A magical moment at Tiger Canyons, South Africa!! Tigress Zaria was also moved to the new area. After many years in a small boma, Corbett does not wait!! 4 Days after his release into his new area, he is mating with tigress Zaria! The Power of the Picture Therefore the photographers join the fight to save wild places & wild tigers & photography is the catalyst which brought them there....read more Video: http://youtu.be/zycBBIKYvr8 In the coldest winter ever at Tiger Canyons, Ussuri's cubs try to break the ice on la Vea Dam to reach the water underneath. Ussuri teach the cubs how to do this. Interview with John Varty about Tiger Canyons SM: What is your overall objective? JV: To get a population of over 50 wild Tigers and create a park where Lions, Leopards, Cheetah and Tigers all coexist....read more Marion's Big Cat Safari Marion Volborn, winner of the Tigress Julie Photo Competition, and her husband Rudi have completed a memorable Big Cat Safari....read more Full Energy Flow At Londolozi, I once filmed a cheetah catching a duiker (a duiker is a small antelope). A leopard stole the duiker from the cheetah after it had completed a few mouthfuls. A hyena stole the duiker from the leopard before it could hoist the duiker into a suitable tree. A lioness arrived and pirated the duiker from the hyena...read more Investing in Wild Tigers Birds, fish, frogs and insects all respond as step by step the 'Garden of Eden' returns to its former glory. All of this is dependant on the tiger and the people who will come to see and photograph it. If large enough tracts of land can be assembled, lion, leopard, tiger and cheetah can all co-exist in one park. This would be unique in the world...read more Where are the Champions? Of the high profile, rich individuals in the world, none have seen fit to champion the cause of saving the Tiger...read more Managing the Genes The largest and most productive male, Seatao has been vasectomised. In a two hour operation, Dr. Charlotte Mouiex performed the vasectomy....read more Capturing the Moment It gives me the great pleasure to announce the winner of the Tigress Julie Photo Competition for 2013. It is Marion Volborn. Congratulation Marion. I look forward to welcoming you and your husband on a Big Cat Safari...read more The Princess Diana of Tigers (Tigress Julie - September 1999 to 5th December 2013) Her passing has affected me deeply and I will take a long time to recover....read more A Letter to All Conservationists in South Africa - Sparked by the whole Melissa Bachman Debacle - by Maxine Gaines South Africa’s trophy hunt industry has been at the center of rhino horn trafficking for quite some time......The hunting Industry can also be pulled apart as far as lion hunts go.....read more and read responses to newsletter Tell me what happened Canyon Shadow’s eyes drilled into mine and I did the same. I communicated to her that I would most certainly kill her. Like two boxers before a boxing match, we stared each other down. Tilting her head, Shadow moved her body into a submissive position....read more Profit is the Name of Your Game "The blue whales can't find a mate You using rhino horn as a aphrodisiac 60,000 tigers pacing up and down The wild tiger going going gone You milking bears from their gall bladders You shooting trophy lions in small enclosures The lungs of the world you desecrate The oceans and rivers you pollute You're a reckless ape, a destructive ape And profit is the name of your game Be careful super ape, be careful super ape" From the Song "Goddess Gaia" by JV........read more Big Cat Cub Safari with John Varty at Londolozi and Tiger Canyons...read more JV's new book "In the Jaws of the Tiger"...read more Digital Photography Digital photography has become a powerful tool in the hands of conservationists. Graphic images of rhinos with horns hacked off appear daily in the social media. Everyday we are reminded that in South Africa alone we could lose 1000 rhinos by the end of 2013.... I have pleasure in announcing the 2014 photo competition. Due to the popularity of the competition, the prize has been increased to 4 nights at Londolozi and 4 nights at Tiger Canyons for 2 people.....read more Zoochosis Corbett with siblings, Sariska and Panna Look into the eyes of a caged tiger and you will see the zombie victim of 'zoochosis': A passionate plea by conservationist who breeds big cats to return them to wild...read more Rhino Horn Trade - Response Are you CRAZY - never heard such nonsense in my life!! There will never be a controlled market force - we cannot even control our seafood industry let alone rhino horn - what are these people smoking?...read more Raw Power I have filmed many fights, kills and brutal scenes during my time but this was by far the most raw, the most ferocious. What made it so emotional for me, is that I had been with both these tigers as they grew up from cubs....read more An Open Letter to the Honourable Edna Molewa, Minister of Water Affairs and Environmental Affairs Rhino horn worth more than cocaine per ounce If you would do this, there are financially powerful individuals in the private sector and pharmaceutical companies able and willing to clone rhino horn and deliver it into the Asian markets....read more Using Flash or Spotlight on Cats at Night Jeep, guests, spotlights and flash light, impact a hunting leopard The hard facts are that in the eco tourism industry, one enters into an unwritten contract with the habituated cats who are generally the stars and the main attractions of one's business....read more “Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who has the Best Eyesight of them All?" The reference books will tell you that a lions night vision is 6 to 7 times better that a human being's. How as a matter if interest, did the scientists discover that? ...read more “Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who is the Fastest of them All?" Cheetah cub Sabi stamping to get cows running Tao and Sean Varty have had the privilege of raising both cheetah and tiger cubs and watching both tigers and lions hunt. In this article they compare the speed of the great cats and ask the question “which is the fastest of the big cats?”...read more Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who is the Best Fighter of Them All? Picture: James Tyrrell The manes on the male lions make them look larger and more fearsome. They protect the neck from blows from the opponent. The question I get asked the most is, if a male lion and a male tiger were to fight, who would win?...read more Wild Cheetah Return to the Free State of South Africa after 100 Years I take great pleasure in announcing that for the first time in 100 years, wild cheetah had been reintroduced into the free State Province of SA. Guests visiting Tiger Canyons can now see, photograph and be inspired by two highly endangered cats, tiger and cheetah....read more Seeking the Genes Therefore it seems that size and compatibility play a role in choice of mate...read more Corbett's Journey As soon as the cub's feet touched the ground, it waddled out of the den into 38 degrees heat....read more In Search of a Mate While "Shy Boy" mates 150 times over 4 days with "TiBo", his brother "Tiger Boy" has access to "Indira" and another male "Sariska" gets to mate with "Ussuri".... read more The Rumble in the Jungle The male tigers rear up, boxing and throwing the claws forward to protect the throat and spine (Yvette van Bommel) The tigers have 5 curved sharp, vicious meat hooks, which extend when fighting....read more
	Tread lightly on the Earth [email protected] Copyright 2007 @jvbigcats All rights reserved

Now the Department of Environment has issued a permit for 1,500 lions to be killed for the body parts...read more

Canned lion hunting: 8,000 lions are in danger of being slaughtered for their body parts...read more

The Power of the Photograph. Celebrating Tigers, finest tiger book ever produced...read more

Predator Aggression - nature’s way of controlling the predator populations...read more

An open letter to Pres Cyril Ramaphosa...read more

SCI bans canned lion hunting...read more

Tigress Tibo produces white cubs...read more

The Indian Connection...read more

Desertification...read more

Supermarket shopper vs. hunter gatherer...read more

JV response to Elayna Kinley letter...read more

Tiger Canyons ten years from now...read more

Tigress Panna, confident, caring mother of 3 cubs...read more

Alan Root...read more

Panna's cubs...
read more

Tigress Julie Lodge
is open...read more

Professional hunter killed by dead elephant falling on him...read more

Tiger Corbett's legacy...read more

Hunting versus Non Hunting...read more

Hunting a Big Tusker at Timbavati...read more

Best photographs at Tiger Canyons...read more

Lady Hunters...read more

Londolozi and Love...read more

Life is not fair...
read more

The Trump Card.....read more

Most admired people on the planet...read more

Captive vs Wild...
read more

JV talks about CITES convention held in SA...read more

I have decided I do not have the body or confidence to pursue the opposite sex any longer...read more

I have lost a friend. His size was awesome, his nature was gentle...read more

Kenyatta torched 110 tons of ivory, 33 lions were being flown into South Africa from circuses and zoos that have been closed down...read more

JV suggestion to SAN Parks re Sylvester the lion...read more

Saving Sylvester the Lion...read more

Open letter to United Nation - give countries a "cruelty status"...read more

Open letter to Carte Blanche about sheep farming in the Karoo...read more

Satellite tracking for tigers at Tiger Canyons...read more

The fire at Tiger Canyons...read more

The shooting of Ussuri's two cubs...read more

Bad tigers...Corbett and Ustad...read more

Tiger Boy's Journey...read more

Instinctively we know we cannot continue on this destructive path. Climate change, human population growth, hamburger culture...read more

Moving tigers around and putting some on birth control...read more

Sariska was shy and gentle by nature, a thorough gentleman...read more

Real Hunters: It jumps on him ripping his throat out...read more

Operation Wild Lion... open letter to president of South Africa...read more

Open letter to PH Theo Bronkhorst about killing Cecil the lion...read more

Cruel nations: selling elephant calves and canned lion hunting...read more

Latest research shows there are only two tiger subspecies...read more

More land for Tiger Canyons...read more

...when we start our motor cars in the morning and push out fossil fuels into the atmosphere, we are killing far more than tigers, we are killing our planet...read more

I have searched for a champion without success. Now I am exploring the hunters. I am purely the messenger...read more

Should you allow hunting to make money for tigers?...read more

Gaia with seemingly zero compassion has spoken again...read more

Can the Big Cats heal you...read more

Why are the religious leaders of the world not concerned for our planet...read more

Do cats form a relationship with humans to secure their survival....read more

White Tigress Tibo protects her cubs by mating with her brother...read more

Gaining ground for tigers - make a donation...read more

Tigress Tibo and Cheetah Mara raising cubs at Tiger Canyons...read more

Ian Player's dream of vast wilderness areas is fading...read more

Three normal coloured cub for white Tigress Tibo...read more

Three cheetah cubs were born at Tiger Canyons...read more

Corbett's Freedom Day...read more

The Power of the Picture...photographers can save species...read more

Safari: Corbett's release...read more

JV's Music under the Moon...listen to songs

Corbett's Journey...read more

Busch School: Where are they now...read more

Open letter to Jani Allen: Oscar Pistorius...read more

Interview with JV about Tiger Canyons...read more

Marion's Big Cat Safari...read more

Full energy flow at Tiger Canyons..read more

Lion, leopard, tiger and cheetah can all co-exist in one park...read more

Of the high profile, rich individuals in the world, none have seen fit to champion the cause of saving the Tiger...read more

Seatao gets a vasectomy....read more

Winner of the photo competition, prize Big Cat Safari, for 2013..read more

Tigress Julie
Sept 1999 - 5 Dec 2013
read more

Trophy Hunting in SA - canned lions, rhino horn trafficking...read more

Tell me what happened...did Julie kill Shadow's cubs?

Open letter to Min of Defense, South Africa about rhino crisis...read more

Digital Photography and Photo Competition (prize: Big Cat Safari with JV)...read more

Look into the eyes of a caged tiger and you will see the zombie victim of 'zoochosis'...read more

Response to JV's newsletter on Rhino Horn Trade...read more

I have filmed many fights, kills and brutal scenes during my time but this was by far the most raw, the most ferocious...read more

The Evolution of the Tracker...read more

Letter to Minister of Water Affairs and Environmental Affairs about trade in rhino horn...read more

Using flash or spotlight on cats at night...read more

Who has the best vision of the of the big Cats...
read more

Who is the fastest...
read more

Lion or tiger, who is the strongest...read more

Cheetah at Tiger Canyons...read more

Seeking the Genes....
read more

Corbett's Journey....
read more

While "Shy Boy" mates 150 times over 4 days with "TiBo"...read more

Contribute to tiger conservation - JV Image Library...see more

The tigers have 5 curved sharp, vicious meat hooks, which extend when fighting...read more

Voronin Big Cat Safari Breaks All Records, 11 leopards, 9 tigers...read more

Effectively what I was offering the Eastern Cape, was two high profile tourist attractions in the leopard and the tiger...read more

The John Hume Approach to save rhino's...read more

Auction of rhino horn: If they do not grant you permission for the auction then you create a global event....read more

Mr. Prime Minister, if you genuinely want to save the magnificent tiger, then create parks where guests from all over the world can interact with your tigers the way they interact with leopards at Londolozi....read more

The news has broken that the Indian Government is far down the tracks with legislation that will ban tourism from their parks...read more

Therefore it's possible that rhino horn is moving labeled as lion body parts...read more

Corbett's Freedom
read about JV's decision

Corbett will be darted and then killed by lethal injection by a professional vet....read more

It struck me that these were my last moments on planet Earth....read more

Tiger Canyons is making a calendar called "Tigresses" which celebrates the beautiful ladies who have done so much for tiger conservation over many years...read more

Jos & Yvette Van Bommel have produced the most stunning book called "Chuffing Tigers"...read more

Rhino breeders have appealed to the Government to allow them to trade the rhino horn, just like a farmer trades the wool from his sheep...read more

How is it that provincial officials can simply reject a R50 million project which will create 60 jobs immediately and later over 100 jobs...read more

I have been given a price of $15,000 for the body parts of an average size tiger. Therefore, 550 lions at $15,000 amounts to $8,250,000 or around R58 million...read more

...Jeremy Taylor recorded a song called "The Immorality Law". It suggested that the first thing that Jan van Riebeeck and his men did when they landed at the Cape, was to crossbreed all the black ladies to create the coloured race of South Africa....read more

Information on Wikipedia is being maliciously changed and altered to cast doubt on the integrity of John Varty and the Tiger Canyons project...read more

Approach your national parks to create protected areas for wild tigers...read more

The more time I spend in the company of Big Cats, the more I believe we underestimate their ability to communicate...read more

Tributes to Savannah...read more

The 3.6 metre electrified fence was dwarfed in places by a surging lake flowing over the canyon...read more

The male and founding tiger of Tiger Canyons, Ron, has died at Tiger Canyons aged 11,5 years old....read more

Corbett rises from the operation, a thin scar has replaced the gaping wound. Corbett has been restored to a handsome male tiger...read more

JV's book, Nine Lives. Memoirs of a Maverick Conservationist, John Varty...read more

I now have evidence that suggests Shine was darted by poachers attempting to kill or steal her ... Another male tiger, Sariska, left Tiger Canyons either dead or alive, on the same night ....read more

I regret to inform you that on the 15th of August 2010, the white Tigress Shine was killed by a young male tiger called Corbett....read more

..lets presume the South Africa Government took the same money and recreate a huge national park, a Serengeti of the South, ... read more

In fact, the animal lives to suffer the side effects - not once, but repeatedly...read more

The bankers gun is rotating wildly, he has a bad attack of "buck fever", there is no ways he will hit the target. "Rest the gun over my shoulder" I command...read more

At Tiger Canyons, the tigers continue to thrive and Julie's four cubs are growing rapidly. We have observed interesting behavior from Seatao, the father of the cubs...read more

Emotions have run high across the world with many people requesting that I pull Runti out and hand raise her...read more

However, to standby and watch the tiny cub fight for its life, is an incredibly hard emotional experience...read more

Savannah apparently understands perfectly well, for she rather clumsily picks up the cub in her mouth and returns it to the den...read more

Emotion is running high across the world regarding my statement that tigress Julie is unlikely to raise her five cubs to maturity, and if one or two perish along the way then I will not interfere...read more

Surderban destroys JV's EX1 camera...read more

Julie gives birth to 5 tiger cubs. I was able to enter the den of Tigress Julie and film and photograph five tiny new born cubs, one of which is white...read more

International Tiger Day
If we cannot save the tigers, I assure you we cannot save ourselves, it is as simple as that....read more

Tiger Photo Gallery
View pictures

I have formed Tiger Photo Gallery and I am inviting all photographers who have visited Tiger Canyons or any Tiger Sanctuary, for that matter, to submit 6 of your most interesting pictures to Tiger Photo Gallery...read more

I found her lying on her back with her paws in the air. Through the binoculars I could see an ugly gash on the bottom of her pad on the rear right leg. The bullet must have deflected off the ground upwards just catching her across the pad...read more

My worst fears were confirmed when I discovered a male tiger cub, caught in a strong wire cable. The cable was tight around his waist and I could see where he had frantically ripped up the soil in an attempt to escape...read more

Shine a White Light. Three helpless, newly born tiger cubs, lie in the grass. Their mother has abandoned them and they are at the mercy of the elements....read more

Tiger burial. t was a solemn, touching ceremony as I and her surviving cub watched her bury the body parts...read more

At Londolozi Game Reserve, I am sitting with an 16 year old leopard who I call "Manana", the mother. She is probably the most famous and photographed leopard in the world ...read more

Tiger Birth at Tiger Canyons
Shadow bit the umbilical cord, ate the afterbirth and cleaned the membrane off the cub with her rough tongue. For a tigress giving birth to her first litter, she was doing surprisingly well....
read more

Invest in Tigers
This Newsletter is addressed to the hundreds of Indian conservationists who have corresponded with me this last year....read more

Tiger Courting
At Tiger Canyons, the two tigresses Julie and Shadow, are in separate territories divided by a wire barrier. Each tigress comes into estrus within hours of the other...read more

Big Cat Safari
with John Varty
(Tiger Canyons & Londolozi)
read more...

Elephant Trust
I see that the minister of environment of South Africa, has lifted the moratorium on culling of elephant...read more

Privatizing the Tiger
Thousands of tigers exist in zoos around the world, earning money for their masters as "displays", while the tigers in the wild dwindle away as human beings take the last of their prey and home range... read more

JV and THE BIG CATS

Tiger Safaris @ Tiger Canyons:

Bookings and more information or email [email protected]

Tigress Julie Lodge

At Tiger Canyons, four litter of cubs are providing us with the finest photo opportunities in our history...read more

The Power of the Photograph Celebrating Tigers by Alex Kirichko

I am extremely proud to have been a collaborator on the finest photographic Tiger Book ever produced. It is called "Celebrating Tigers"....read more

Pictures by Christo Schmidt during his recent exclusive tiger safari with JV. Christo and his family stayed at the new Tigress Julie Lodge

Tibo Produces White cubs

The photographic opportunities are outstanding as all three cubs are confident and becoming habituated.... read more

Tigress Panna and her cubs

The Indian Connection

Greatly inspired by the film "Living with Tigers", Dr Pabla has reintroduced Tigers into Panna Reserve, after they became locally extinct....read more

Tigress Jameez basking in morning light in front of Tigress Julie Lodge. Picture credit: Juta Jacobi

Desertification

Sadly, in the Karoo of South Africa, at the turn of the previous century, man destroyed the symbiotic relationship between the land and the animals....read more

Tigers Bird and Sunderban playing

JV's response to Elayna Kinley letter: So let me ask you, apart from sitting behind your computer, what have you done for Tigers? ...read more

Running on Empty

In a recent interview, they asked me where I would like Tiger Canyons to be in ten years time. This is my reply...read more

The Survivor

The shy Tigress is gone and in her place a confident caring sharing mother, totally relaxed in our company has emerged. Panna nearly perished at birth. She was brutally attacked by Indira and Shadow. She remained without cubs for eight long years...read more

Panna's cubs

In pursuit of Alan Root. His ability to see the migrations through the eyes of a single wildebeest or the launching of millions of termites from the perspective of a single termite and communicate it to the viewing public, was unique...read more

One of Panna's cubs...read more

An open letter to the Headmistress of Dioscan School for Girls, the Headmaster of Saint Andrews College, the Teachers and Coaches....read more

It's Finished

We are extremely proud to announce that the Tigress Julie Lodge is open...read more

King Corbett

Today I embrace the attack by the Tiger Corbett as something I survived & which enriched my life. The passing of Corbett is the end of an era & hopefully new males will take Corbett's place...read more

If it Pays, it Stays

Everyday guests from the Timbavati lodges go out in search of the magnificent 100 pound tusker. Some guests are lucky enough to see and photograph him. One day this year, the guest will not carry a camera, he or she will have a high powered rifle...read more

Best Photographs at Tiger Canyons

After 2 years of drought, Gaia has blessed us with beautiful soaking rains...read more

Lady Hunters

Perhaps because women are the givers of life, that we cannot comprehend why they would want to kill a peaceful innocent animal like a giraffe or a majestic animal like a leopard....read more

Londolozi and Love

Londolozi’s relationship with leopard has evolved over many years. It is one of love! There are rangers and trackers who are more passionate about leopards than... read more

Life is Not Fair

Armed only with a stick, Phumlany took Corbett head on. He hit him 3 times before Corbett released me. There is no question that Phumlany Mchunu saved my life that day...read more

The Trump Card

JV agrees with Paul Watson..."Why Fighting Donald Trump on Climate Change is a Waste of Time and Actually Counter Productive" ...read more

Most Admired People on the Planet.

In a recent interview I was asked who I admired most on this planet. These are they...read more

Captive vs Wild

The tragic death of Vivienne McKenzie by a tiger at Laohu Valley is regrettable and I send my sincere condolences to Vivienne’s friends, family and colleagues. Vivienne gave years of her life to tiger conservation...read more

To Trade or Not To Trade

The truth is elephants, lions and tigers compete with human beings. Lions and tigers eat our domestic stock, elephants destroy our crops and eat the grass which could be eaten by our cows. They are competitors for space, food and water.... read more

A Defining Moment

I Have Lost A Friend

His size was awesome, his nature was gentle. I estimated that a half a million images decorate the walls of houses in over 50 countries. I myself shot several hard drives of Seatao....read more

JV Images is proud to produce their new song "Where will the Polar Bears go" on YouTube. A warning that it is not for the sensitive viewers...

The World is Changing

The World is Changing

On the same day that Kenyatta torched 110 tons of ivory, 33 lions were being flown into South Africa from circuses and zoos that have been closed down in Peru and Columbia....read more

An Open Letter to Head of United Nations

Now Mr Ban Ki-moon, if I am a traveler wishing to visit a certain country, I can simply dial up the "cruelty status" of the respective country and if it has a poor "cruelty status", then I may consider not visiting that country...read more

An Open Letter to Carte Blanche

Satellite Tracking

I have accepted the Departments decision in good faith. It allows us to better keep track of the tigers. It helps scientists doing research to map the movements of the tigers....read more

Protest song

The song "Mugabe don't own the Sunrise" has been released from JV's new album "I Protest". The song highlights the poaching in Africa and the global wildlife trade. The album is dedicated to Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd: https://youtu.be/tL94jDvRGLU

The Break Out

A chain of events occurred at Tiger Canyons which have resulted in the death of Ussuri's male cub Antoine and the female cub Marguerite....read more

Bad Tigers

Neither the killing of Shine nor the killing of Tiger Boy is unnatural behaviour. By no stretch of the imagination can Corbett be labeled a "bad tiger."....read more

Tiger Boy's Journey

During his life Tiger Boy taught me many new things about Tiger behaviour. He was an Ambassador Tiger and readily posed for pictures. He had an extremely calm and relaxed nature. He is one of the few wild tigers that have ever greeted me with a chuff. He will be sorely missed....read more

Creative conservation

This last week at Tiger Canyons, Dr Ryan Nienaber and Dr Charlotte Mouiex expertly moved 5 tigers and put 3 tigresses on birth control. All of this in the space of a few hours....read more

Sariska from Birth till Death

He spent long periods of time playing with his cubs. This is unusual for a male tiger. Sariska always allowed Ussuri and the cubs to feed before him. This too is exceptional...read more

Your government illegalizes the holding and breeding of lions in captivity. The government disassembles the canned lion industry over a period of 5 years...read more

Mahindra kills Sariska and badly injures Sundarban...read more

An Open Letter to Theo Bronkhorst

Cruel Nations

We know that elephant cows that have lost their calves, grieve for long periods of time. The trauma and pain is extreme, easily on par with a human mother that has lost a young child....read more

Subspecies or No Subspecies

Only two tiger subspecies: "Our results support recognition of only two subspecies: the Sunda tiger, Panthera tigris sondaica, and the continental tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, which consists of two (northern and southern) management units"....read more

Tigers Moving Forward

The Power of the Photograph

Celebrating Tigers by Alex Kirichko

"The world is waiting
For a new direction
One based on the laws of nature” ...read more

SM: What is your overall objective?
JV: To get a population of over 50 wild Tigers and create a park where Lions, Leopards, Cheetah and Tigers all coexist....read more

The Princess Diana of Tigers
(Tigress Julie - September 1999 to 5th December 2013)