| Aptly called the 'Land of Roar and Trumpet',
this forest of flowing rivers, blue waters and Sal-dappled glades,
was christened after the famous Colonel 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett.
There is something absolutely magical about being in tiger and
elephant country, where unexpected sights and sounds present
themselves at almost every turn. Many of Jim Corbett's enthralling
tales, including the Maneaters of Kumaon and the Maneating Leopard
of Rudraprayag originated here in these famous Kumaon hills,
where the shikari used to hunt wild animals, until F W Champion,
who pioneered wildlife photography in India, taught him to appreciate
living tigers. Eventually Gentleman Jim put his guns down in
favour of the camera; and that is the example that all humans
who venture into this magnificent Park must now emulate.
The Corbett Tiger Reserve is visually stunning. India's first
National Park, it is ranked as one of the best-managed parks
in the subcontinent. It also happens to be one of the last
surviving stretches of untouched sub-Himalayan wildernesses.
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Corbett is ultimate tiger haven, but because of its thick undergrowth
and tall grass it is actually quite difficult to spot tigers.
A plentiful prey base does, however, support a relatively large
tiger population, which is variously estimated to range between
90 to 120. Visitors often report seeing the tiger on the main
tar road between the Dhangari entrance gate and Dhikala. If
you do not see one, pugmarks are a sure bet - a sign that they
are around. Also ask guides, drivers and mahawats to point out
favourite scratching posts where tigers leave tell-tale "I
was here" signatures. Apart from the tiger, you could see
as many as 50 different species of mammals.
Leopards are often seen in the hilly areas and outskirts
of the park, because the larger and more powerful tiger dominates
the prime areas. The jungle cat and the rare fishing cat frequent
grassland and riverine areas. Elephants are the dominant mammals
of Corbett, but even they are dwarfed by the larger than life
vistas. They can be seen bathing, drinking and feeding in
the Ramganga River and its food-rich surrounds. Herds are
seen as frequently as lone tuskers. You could chance upon
them in thick vegetation or watch them from a distance from
machans built over salt licks and water holes throughout the
park. Elephants once used to migrate out of the park, but
the Ramganga reservoir has cut off one migratory route and
some herds are now confined.
Relatively easily visible are chital, sambar (the largest
deer in Asia) and barking deer (so called because its alarm
call sounds like a dog's bark). Wildboar may suddenly cross
the jungle road as you go by. Huge males wander in sounders
with females accompanied by striped and marked piglets. Large
male boars can be dangerous if cornered and have been known
to fatally wound tigers in battle.
Bharal, ghoral, Himalayan Tahr and serow can be seen in Corbett
and to give yourself the best chance to see these rare Himalayan
animals you would be best advised to take a slow drive up
to Kanda and back.
In the Bijrani area chances of seeing sloth bear are excellent.
Attracted here by both termites and the sweet nectar of Mahua
flowers the bears have often been observed in an inebriated
state when the Mahua ferments in their stomachs.
Jackals come close to the Dhikala campus, where they seem
to thrive on small rodents and mammals such as Blacknaped
Hare that live in the grassy chaurs. The call of the Langur
is one of Corbett's most distinctive sounds.
The Gharial (a fish-eating long-snouted crocodile) and the
Mugger or Marsh crocodile are both found in the Ramganga river.
Tortoises and fresh water turtles are effective scavengers
and can also be seen.
The Indian Python, Viper, King Cobra and Krait -- all poisonous
-- inhabit the park. Monitors and other lizards are amongst
the 25 reptile species documented in the park. The tiger,
Wild dog, Hog deer, and Indian Pangolin, are rarely seen outside
the National Park although they once roamed the entire terai
region.
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