Come, join me on a Journey into the Wild & Wilderness of Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve @ Uttrakhand India.
A Jungle Fantasy where Geographical Boundaries blur and conflict of caste creed or religion remains nonexistent. Animals & Birds live to eat and procreate. Pollution is alien and the Law of Nature is ultimate.
A chance going through some exceptionally stunning wild life pictures clicked by a good friend captures your imagination. Floored by his hitherto shrouded quality, you call him to congratulate and amidst conversation, the idea of joining him in his impending visit to India’s oldest sanctuary – ‘Corbett National Park or Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve ’ germinates.
So the flight to Delhi followed by 6 hours Train Journey to Ramnagar in the Nainital District of Uttarakhand and where you reach. Soon you are at the precincts of the World renowned ‘Corbett Tiger Reserve’.
It is 9 PM and the entry into the Park is now closed. No tourist can enter the park after 5PM. So you spent the night in one of the many attractive resorts lined up outside the park.
Next day early morning, with valid permits, you, along with your friend proceed in two separate green colored open Jeeps into the fabled forested sanctuary. Your Driver cum Guide for this tour, Diwan Singh informs you that the Cost of Jeep for each day is Rs. 4500/- which includes cost of permit and two Jungle Safaris, of 4 hours each. One in the morning & other in the evening.
Named after Jim Edward James Corbett, the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve is an animal’s paradise spread over 1318 Kms of which 1288 Kms lies in the State of Uttarakhand and remaining in the adjoining State of UP. The Park area however is limited to only 520 Kms.
Established in 1936, this Tiger reserve provides its inhabitants a place to stay in their natural environment and is the result of commendable efforts of hunter turned conversationalist ‘Jim Corbett’ who endeavored to protect the endangered Bengal Tigers from indiscriminate and unconscionable machismo hunters.
Standing on the Open Jeep, armed with Nikon D7200 with powerful 200mm-500mm Lens and my friend with a still higher quality and more powerful, Nikon D500 with 600mm Prime Lens, our Jungle Safari begins.
As the wheels of Jeep turn towards the wilderness of this expansive Jungle, richness of Mother Nature, through its Flora & Fauna gets increasingly pronounced. With soft red Sun rising right behind, the chirping of birds gets louder and shriller.
The Jungle has, as if awakened up to welcome a new day. The branches of trees replete with agile, colorful avian keep swinging as the birds pull out their wings and relentlessly hop from one branch to another. Both our cameras begin to do what they were supposed to, Focus & Click, Focus & Click.
Bird
Jungle Fowl
No sooner you are within the Park you see a pair of colorful red Jungle-Fowls incessantly pricking the ground in-between the fallen golden leaves, ostensibly to grab some food. You stop; take few pictures and then move ahead.
Suddenly the sound of Bow Bow is heard at a distance. The drivers of both the Gypsies put on the breaks and stand up, pull their binoculars and begin to scan the valley. In whispers, they inform us that such sound is created by ‘Kakar’ or barking Deer; an unmistakable signal of a large Cat like a Leopard or Tiger on prowl around. You therefore wait for some time but neither Tiger nor any Leopard turned to greet us. After a while the Barking too stops and you move ahead consoling yourselves by saying – “Better Luck Next time”.
Then suddenly an astounding greyish-brown large Male ‘Sambar’ Deer with dense manes on his neck and impressive long antlers/horns over his head (one of the 40,000 deer that supposedly live here) positions himself right front of you, right at the center of the road.
His audacious look into our eyes seemed to convey challenge; ‘dare if you come further’. You are delighted. Not that he had blocked our way, but that you could, in leisure, focus and capture him in your camera. He then himself, mercifully, decides to move towards the other side of the forest. The path gets clear and you too move on, wearing a smile.
Next, both the drivers turn their Jeeps towards a cliff and stop. After alighting, one could see RamGanga River flowing silently deep down. You are then delighted to spot, right at the center of river’s shallow waters, a cute just delivered baby Elephant whose skin is still overtly reddish & tender. Hungry, as he seems, he sucks milk from his mother’s mammary glands (Tits).
Besides them was another fully-grown Elephant standing silently. The sight is awesome; the kind you could see in the Geographic Channel or Animal Planet. So, with their chores over, all three start walking slowly towards the shore.
On reaching the Shore, the accompanying Elephant uses its long impressive trunk to suck dry soil from the ground and sprinkle it over all the three. A traditional way to dry themselves?? Plausible.
After they leave, on the other side of the river bank, is another amazing creature seen basking under the Sun . As you zoom your lens on it, you see a massive slender snout; a critically endangered Gharial Crocodile lying motionless on a flat stone endeavoring to assimilate solar heat. After few more clicks of this rare alligator ( incidentally, just 100 of these species left now) you move on.
It is breakfast time Now. Diwan Singh then drives you towards a secured enclosure within Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve for some quick snacks. But just as you settle, someone rushes in to ask you all to come out fast. So as go out, to your surprise you find a huge “Lesser Fish Eagle” perched on a small cliff few meters away from the boundary wall.
No way could this propitious opportunity to capture her in your cameras be missed. However, she soon turns towards the sound this side, gives an intriguing stare, spreads her wings and off she goes, to a more secluded space, supposedly.
Driving steadily through various paths within the park, the first safari is culminated at a rest house in DHIKALA. (Dhikaka is one of the six ecotourism zones situated within the confines of the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve.)
On reaching here, you offload your luggage, have lunch, take some rest and soon get ready for the second round of wild exploration. This time Diwan Singh takes you through a different route in an attempt to encounter more varied species of birds and animals. As a result, you soon spot, an Grey Winged Black Bird on the ground among dry leaves. Obviously, you focus on her and shoot. (With your Cameras Of course)
Ironically laws are followed more assiduously in the Jungles than within the supposed civilization. Here “disciplined-wild” is not an Oxymoron. It is 6.30 PM and all the Safari Jeeps are back at their respective bases. No cajoling could convince Diwan Singh to stay-put beyond this time. His license could be impounded if caught, he pleaded.
With no option, still not satiated, you turn towards DHIKALA. On your way however, you witness a captivating huge round ball – the “Sun” is setting behind the hills near the Grass-Land. The only thing satiating after that was the delicious vegetarian buffet dinner served at the restaurant.
Not a bad day, but as the adage goes …. “Ye Dil mange More”….
Next day early morning at sharp 6 AM you are out again for the third and the last Safari. This time the first to spot is a single male Asiatic Tusker. You watch him as he walks majestically up from the riverbed, mercilessly trampling all that comes his way.
As he comes closer and closer, his massive figure gets beyond the frame size of your 200mm-500mm Lens. He then harmlessly walks from behind your jeep and quietly vanishes in thick Jungle.
A little further are a herd of ‘Chital’ or Spotted Deer, with black nose and white spots of hair scattered amidst golden hair all over their bodies.
There are over 600 species of Birds in Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve . Of them you come across a few splendors like the Chestnut-headed-Bee Eater, Grey Winged Black Bird, Plump headed Parakeet and Himalayan Bul Bul.
All these feathered beauties ware a remarkably distinct, captivating and mesmerizing hues across their bodies. One wonders if some divine painter had descended over this paradise and used his magical brush to paint each one of them with such incredibly stunning colors.
Suddenly your eyes fall on an astoundingly beautiful ‘Crested Serpent Eagle’ sitting ensconced between the branches of a tree close to your path. Overwhelmed, you stop and start clicking this awesome winged vertebrate from as close as you could get. Luckily she too co-operates giving some really good poses even as she looks at you through her piercing eyes before she finally decides to get airborne.
Time is your enemy. Reluctantly you leave since you have late evening flight to return back to Mumbai. On the way nonetheless, a bunch of enchanting Monkeys or Langurs, stand with their impressive long tails, black eyes indistinguishably embedded in their pitch black faces and slim body covered with shiny grey hair apparently waiting to bid you a warm adieu.
How could one miss a picture of such compassion? Some Clicks and soon you are at the Gate of this unforgettable Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve.
As you are out of the gate, there is another vehicle waiting to take you and your friend back to the Capital City, just in time to board your Mumbai flight.
The experience is, undoubtedly, something that would stick to your memory for a long long time to come. Only regret, the fabled “Royal Bengal Tiger” refused to show-up. Reason ? May be this celebrated Jungle Boss despised giving last minute appointments. It’s OK. Understandable! Swear to seek advance appointment with the striped Cat before planning next visit to this remarkable reserve. Hopefully he will oblige. Ha..ha…
Bhupender
5
Rajesh K
Very well written. Surprisingly never knew about this Talent… Keep sharing…
Bhupender
Thankyou jee
Anonymous
5
Anonymous
You are just awesome boss. Keep going on it is not just safari of Jungle animals and birds but it is safari of beautiful words. You certainly have skill to make us read. All the best
Anonymous
4.5
Anonymous
4
Anonymous
Sheer magic in reading. And elephant and baby. A rare pic.
Bhupender
Thankyou very much.
Jagdev Singh Bhatty
Good narration and nice pics
Anonymous
Thrilled. I am living the moments as I read it. My appetite is not satiated, Ye Dil really maange more and more of such wonderful writings and the pictures are beautiful.
God bless you and give you good health, so you visit more n more places and give us a chance to read more of your writings.
👌👌👌👌👍👍👍👍
Elizabeth Werick
It certainly is a beautiful world and photography is amazing.
rajesh ajmera
beautiful description,happy to know about the beauty of the place duly supported by some equally beautiful rare clips
endangered species whose sight is hardly visible flock the green cover of corbett,A jungle in true sense
THE write up appeases the mind .awaiting some more on your scuba dive at murudeshwar
Laxmi Taneja
Writing is a heartfully – heartfelt God’s gift So one can encounter their hidden deep emotions. Expression of a traveller ugeles out overwhelmingly in true sense, densely feeling the atmosphere and the environment In all sense and spirit.
Your article reminded me of a poem by William Henry Davies
What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?— No time to stand beneath the boughs, And stare as long as sheep and cows: No time to see, when woods we pass, Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass: No time to see, in broad daylight, Streams full of stars, like skies at night: No time to turn …
William Henry Davies (Lesiure)
Keep rocking!
Bhupender
Thankyou very much for your inspiring message.
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Rajat Kumar
Unfortunately, I have not been to this park even though I have been living around Delhi and it’s not too far from here.
I hope one day I will make it to the Jim Corbett Park.