IN THE HEART OF CORBETT

Ever seen a tiger in the wild?

An expectant response to this question would be no. Unfortunately, most people would lose the chance to set eyes on this ‘striped maharaja’ if the rate of its extinction continues. However, for the lucky few who have been to Corbett National Park, watching a tiger ‘at his home’ can be an experience of a lifetime. Imagine, the grace and splendor of the majestic creature walking just a few feet away from you! Nothing compares to it. The best time to visit Corbett is from November 15 to June 15. Corbett remains closed between June 16 and November 14, when the monsoons flood the river beds and cut the road links.

Nestled in the picturesque Kumaon Hills of Uttranchal, near a small town called Ramnagar Corbett National Park and Tiger Reserve is named after Jim Corbett, a British game hunter who turned a conservationist towards the later half of his life. To reach Corbett, hop on to a hired jeep and savour the wilde en route to the Park. The natural ambience gives you the feel of a prehistoric world when neither man nor beast had set foot on terra firma. The thick foliage and rugged terrain confirm your belief that there are still a few places in the world un-touched by human hand. When the jeep driver points out the fresh tiger foot prints in the mud, only then do you realize that this is tiger country and humans are aliens here.

The road to the Park is truncated by a water feature, the Ramganga river that meanders through Corbett adding much needed respite to both, man & beast. A safari is organized every evening and morning and the experiences of those lucky enough to spot a tiger are put upon a board in the rest-house. Very often a group in a jeep can spot as many as three sightings of the tiger but if you are out of luck then you might not even see one. There is electricity in the air during the safari as one anticipates a tiger around every turn and in every piece of moving wild grass. The people in the vehicle hush down to bare whispers and everyone is looking for a sign of the elusive creature called the Tiger. Even if you don’t get to see the ‘striped maharaja’, Corbett never disappoints those who come to visit; the eyes feast on other wild animals like the elephants, deer, langurs, alligators and many more.

So, what actually happens when you spot a tiger? For starters, the heart pounds, fingers on the camera never relax and every muscle in your body gets activated for that one sight of the King of the jungle.

The Corbett National Park is just one of the rare locales in the subcontinent where efforts are on to save the tiger, basically aimed at increasing their numbers, naturally. However, as we humans encroach nature’s abode and destroy the habitat of the animals, it appears that Corbett is soon going to be one of the last few places in where one would be able to see a tiger in its natural glory. So, try catching a glimpse of the National pride, while it still rides through the jungle in search of its next kill.