Jim Corbett National Park - How Not To Plan A Wildlife Safari
Sunday, December 04, 2011Image by Soumyajit Nandy, via Wikimedia Commons |
1. THE SIZE OF THE GROUP
Not many would face a situation like this. But if you do, keeping low expectations would help counter the disappointment that may follow.
At the IGI Airport of Delhi, three buses were waiting for us, our transportation onwards to Uttarakhand. We were a group of 80 people - the entire department of Human Resources Management of my office, heading for an annual trip aimed at employee engagement. At the tiger reserve, it took 15 gypsies to fit that convention.
In retrospect, tiger spotting was probably never a priority of the organizing team. Even if it was, the size of the group in the row of jeeps moving together deterred tigers from crossing our path. Like some of us humans, tigers detest a crowd. It would have been a different tale if we were gazelles (Jim Corbett theorized that healthy tigers are not man-eaters).
The group size caused another major problem - more on that later.
2. THE RIGHT SEASON
Dry summers are when tigers shed their camouflage of the jungle and approach the water bodies more frequently during the day. It helps quench their thirst and reduce body heat with a dip in the water. With other animals congregating near the waterholes, it also gives them the opportunity of an easy hunt.
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Image by Jean Beaufort |
The winter months, when we visited, are comfortable and more appealing for humans. Post-monsoon, the temperature is not harsh, and the landscape is lush and more aesthetical. But with denser vegetation, spotting an elusive tiger became more difficult.
Furthermore, we were there on November 11, before the scheduled opening of core zone Dhikala in mid-November. The park then stays open till June 15 every year, giving you a choice to visit in either winter or summer. Although off-seasons have a lesser crowd and better prices, the tactic is counterproductive in the case of National Parks. A visit to a National Park is incomplete without venturing into a Core zone which is the actual protected area with maximum biodiversity.
3. THE RIGHT ZONE
The day after, we started in our open-top Jypsy before the break of dawn while shivering in the morning cold. By the time we reached the reserve entry gates, there was enough light to see our surroundings. Lined with tall Sal trees, the rough road led us inside a dense jungle. We saw giant anthills with no pangolin in the vicinity. As we drove deeper, we spotted an Indian grey mongoose, a pair of Rhesus macaque mother and child, and multiple species of deers - barking deers, hog deers, and Chitals or spotted deers. The sighting of hog deer was the only rare occurrence, as the animal is considered Endangered under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with its population constantly decreasing.
Occasionally we stopped the jeep, misinterpreting sounds in the bushes nearby. The silence of the jungle enhanced the sounds we often miss in our cities - the wind whooshing, the rustle of leaves, a stream gurgling, birds chirping, the sound of our breaths, and the distant alarm calls of barking deers. Their barking was a sign of a predator lurking near them. It was exhilarating to chase that sound, but a part of me was disappointed when we couldn't behold those vibrant stripes of a Bengal Tiger. The closest we came to feel the presence of this majestic creature were a set of faded pug marks trampled over by jeep tracks.
We continued our journey across a stream to a tea and snacks stall operated by the locals. It was a red flag, as a National Park, by definition, cannot have human economic activities within its perimeters. We had already realized our blunder and convinced our driver cum guide to separate from the convoy, but our efforts were futile as we were in the wrong zone altogether.
Corbett National Park has four core zones - Dhikala, Bijrani, Jhirna, and Durgadevi, with a limited capacity of park entries issued per day per zone. Dhikala was yet to open, and the arranging team couldn't get a permit for the other core zones due to the size of our group. Instead, they had directed us towards Sitabani - one of the buffer zones. A buffer zone isn't always devoid of tigers. But the zone ideal for tiger sighting can change as per the tigers' migrating tendencies, and without an expert tracker's knowledge choosing any random zone can turn into a wild goose chase.
We sought solace at Dhikuli, a small village within the core area of Corbett Tiger Reserve, where we had booked our resorts. My spacious cottage at Corbett Wilds Resort had a balcony overlooking the Kosi river, where an occasional herd of elephants would come to play in the water.
4. THE NUMBER OF DAYS OR SAFARIS
In the afternoon, we stayed within the core area of Corbett National Park at Garjiya. But instead of another wildlife safari, we were whisked off to a suspension bridge over the Kosi river for adventure activities.
It was fun, nonetheless, trying Rappelling and Rock climbing on a natural rock wall and a variation of bungee jumping that we saw the local boys reinvent. The difference was the absence of recoil, and I hit the ice-cold water straightaway and dipped beneath. A man on the riverbank, holding the other end of a rope tied to my harness, deftly pulled me out.
The next day again, instead of a safari, we went on a day trip to Ranikhet for what seemed like a defunct Golf Course and the Chaubatia Orchards. The orchard was a sensory overload, surrounding us in fragrances of apricots, chestnuts, peaches, and the sight of autumn, with the backdrop of the Trisul peaks.
The organizers, in good faith, had tried to jam as many activities as they could into our three-day trip and covered many places to visit near Jim Corbett National Park. But as much as I loved jumping into the Kosi river and witnessing the falls colors at Chaubatia, I would have preferred to focus on one thing at a time. Corbett Tiger Reserve in this case.
Chances of tiger sighting increase with the number of jungle safaris taken over a couple of days, with two safaris being a bare minimum. We went on one, with our fate of no tiger sighting sealed at the planning stage of that trip. Meeting this canine was my consolation prize for missing the feline.
An excerpt from Man-Eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett - "A tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage…when he is exterminated — as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support — India will be the poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna."
34 comments
Almost felt I was living those memories with you. Very well narrated Sanghita.
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ReplyDeleteHi Ma'am -
ReplyDeleteI have been following your blog for quite long and I love your writing. I am a great fan of yours and want to make you my Mentor. Please let me know if you are okay.
Shekhar
wow! beautifully narrated!!
ReplyDeletebrought back fond memories of my visit in october.. you can read about it at http://www.clubmahindrablog.com/naturally-corbett
Interesting!!
ReplyDeleteWhat I found striking is how you remembered the minute details of every hour/day. It sounded very professional.
@Santanu, Debajyoti, Magiceye - Thanks for visiting the blog and for the feedback.
ReplyDelete@Debajyoti - What were the misconceptions?
@Shekhar - Good to know that you like my blog. But I'm definitely not apt to be a mentor yet...
@Sudip - When you love something, your mind is at its best when you are doing that ;-)
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ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics, beautiful narration, beautiful background, beautiful blog... Don't think you need any more adjectives... :)
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ReplyDeleteThank you Vishal :)
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ReplyDelete@SunShine - I really couldn't guess who you are, but Thanks :)
ReplyDelete@Rohan - Thanks :) Hope there are cage wires between the tiger and myself the day I meet him...
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@Himanshu @ Alam Thanks for visiting the blog.
ReplyDelete@Himanshu Hope you visit Jim Corbett soon and get to see a tiger when you are there :)
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