In Bhutan’s remote villages, appeals to protect wildlife often resonate more deeply when they are connected to religion, folklore and inherited beliefs rather than presented only through scientific evidence.
Building on that understanding, a group of Bhutanese researchers and conservationists has published a book that explores the tiger’s place in Buddhist teachings and Bhutanese cultural traditions. The publication, Compendium of Traditional Wisdom on Tiger, was launched to mark Global Tiger Day.
The book argues that tiger conservation in Bhutan can be strengthened by drawing on values that have guided communities for generations.
Long before wildlife surveys, camera traps and conservation programmes documented the presence of tigers in Bhutan’s forests, the animal occupied an important place in the country’s spiritual imagination. Tigers appeared in sacred narratives, oral traditions, religious symbolism and artistic representations, where they were often associated with bravery, compassion and balance in the natural world.
These beliefs continue to influence attitudes towards wildlife in rural areas, according to Dorji Gyeltshen, a researcher and editor of the book.
“During my research on environmental and climate change issues, I travelled to many rural communities. What I learned was that people were much easier to convince when we explained conservation through cultural and spiritual beliefs instead of talking about climate change or scientific facts,” he said.
Published by the Druk Nyo Foundation, the compendium brings together references from Buddhist scriptures, traditional stories, folklore and visual art. Instead of presenting the tiger merely as an endangered species in need of protection, it examines why the animal has historically commanded reverence in Bhutanese society.
The authors believe that reconnecting communities with this heritage could complement conventional conservation measures, including scientific research, habitat protection and wildlife management.
The publication is also intended to introduce younger Bhutanese to traditional knowledge that may not always form part of modern environmental education.
“We hope that it will help in the conservation of tigers along with scientific ways of conservation efforts. Youths nowadays are aware through modern education, but cultural and spiritual knowledge is also important, and I think it is also easier to create awareness through it,” Dorji said.
The researchers hope that presenting conservation through familiar religious and cultural ideas will encourage communities to see tiger protection not simply as a government programme or environmental obligation, but as a continuation of their own ethical and spiritual traditions.
Bhutan recorded 131 tigers in the National Tiger Survey Report 2021–2022, underlining the country’s importance as a habitat for the globally endangered species.
For Bhutan, the tiger is more than a rare predator moving silently through the forests. It is also a symbol of the country’s wilderness, faith and cultural identity.
As efforts continue to protect the species and its habitat, the new book offers a broader lesson: conservation may be most enduring when scientific knowledge is reinforced by the stories, beliefs and values through which people already understand their relationship with nature.
