THE CORBETT CHRONICLES

Being a wildlife enthusiast I am immensely and passionately in love with jungles and the wild, and that is what lead me to write this memoir of my visit to Corbett. Though I have been to many national parks, this trip would stay in my memory and that of my brother and two cousin sisters forever.

It was May of 2002 when we visited Jim Corbett national park. We took a train from Baroda to Delhi, hired a Qualis from there and went to Nainital and after spending two leisurely days there moved onwards to Corbett. (Some details may have been missed or forgotten as this trip was made 16 years back but the incidents penned here are true and will remain fresh in our memories forever).

We reached the park gate by 4pm and were very excited and happy to be in the jungle again that we did not have patience even for the check in at the park gate; moreover, it was taking quite some time. Much to our disappointment, we came to know that our booking in the forest lodge of Dhikala area of Corbett was sold away to some other group and so we would be staying in the Bijrani zone of the forest. To reach the lodge in Bijrani our vehicle was given a permit and a forest guide as we had to go through the forest to reach there.

WELCOME BY TUSKER

We soon entered the jungle and saw a herd of chitals grazing peacefully. There is some magic in the jungle, so peaceful yet full of activity, so green, so serene, and so divine. We were moving towards the lodge and there was a valley on one side of the track and other side was a steep hill. We were going slowly and all of a sudden from the side of the valley came a huge tusker right in front of the car. It was so close to the car that we could only see its massive head and huge tusks when suddenly the forest guard shouted “peeche lo peeche lo” and the driver got so scared that he reversed the car right up to the park gate. We couldn’t click its picture or see more, but, that face and that incident will remain etched in our memories forever. We started cribbing and complaining to the parents that the driver should not have reversed so much and we couldn’t see more of the tusker and it was then that the forest guide told us that tuskers tend to get aggressive at times and that one tusker had charged towards the jeep of a foreigner in the morning.

TYRSTS WITH ELECTRICITY

I have no idea about the availability of electricity in Bijrani zone now, but when in those days there was nearly no electricity. Electricity was there only for half an hour 7pm-7.30 pm. The dining hall was a bit far from the room and we had to be there before 7.30. By the time we finished our dinner, it was pitch dark outside. One of the hotel boys escorted us with a lantern to our rooms. While going back we saw a heard of Sambar near the rooms and one was sitting there and we even went forward to touch it and stroke it. After that, we retired to our rooms and called it an early night. With no electricity, there was nothing much to do and we were not even permitted to come out of the room so that we might have some fun time with cousins. But neither I, my brother or cousins could sleep, for we just kept on imagining a tiger or leopard strolling outside the room or a tiger scratching the net of the windows!

BIJRANI GUEST HOUSE IMAGE COURTSEY: GOOGLE

 

TIGER TIGER

Next day early in the morning we had an elephant safari. We had two elephants; one for each family. Our elephant was leading and soon we were deep in the jungle. We saw deer and langurs. We reached a waterhole where a tiger was just about to pounce on a chittal. But our reaching there caused some noise and distracted the tiger and the deer escaped. The tiger got angry and elephant too started behaving strangely. Its body started shaking and it started stamping its hind foot to warn the other elephant of the tiger’s presence when the mahout instantly turned the elephant back and away from that place. This incident too happened within minutes, and we had no time to capture it. But yet again, the experience was unforgettable.

A LEOPARD OUTSIDE THE ROOM?

Next day we left for another zone, Gairal. There too electricity was an issue. Here we were given the kerosene lanterns which had to be used carefully. We were given one room and a cottage. The room was a bit far from the cottage. We were clearly instructed that before dusk everyone will be in the respective rooms and no one was allowed to go from one room to another. The cottage was located at the end of the lodge property from where the dense jungle commenced.

 These lodges, one in Bijrani and Gairal did not have boundaries in any form to separate the property from the jungle. The boy who had escorted us to our rooms told us that in the morning a leopard was spotted just about 10feet from our room. We were thrilled, hoping that we could get to see something just sitting in our room. But the thrill slowly started turning to fear once the daylight started fading. It was a beautiful dusk with all the beautiful colours of nature. Jungle slowly coming alive. Me, my brother, cousins, mom and masi were sitting on the veranda of the room and having fun and playing cards when suddenly there was some rustling. I ignored it. But then, I heard the sound again and as the incidence of leopard sighting in the morning was still fresh in my mind, I presumed that there was a leopard nearby and screamed at the top of my voice. Hearing my scream the younger cousin and my brother dashed into the room and hid under the table. I and my cousin sister got stuck in the doorway. We both were trying to get inside at the same time and, well, in those days we were a bit roly-poly. We both got scared and actually pushed each other to get inside! After we were all inside, safe in the room, we wondered what exactly the sound was, when my brother said that it was just the creaking of the chair that he was sitting on and everybody got scared due to my screaming and not any “rustling” sound. It seems nobody even heard that! But, at night the sounds from the jungle were real, loud and clear. They were creepy and intriguing at the same time. We couldn’t help holding mummy’s hand while sleeping that night.

                                                          THE "LEOPARD" COTTAGE

Next morning we took a safari from Gairal to Dhikala. It was a wonderful safari. Got to see some birds of prey, crocodiles in the Ramanganga River and in Dhikala we were taken atop a watchtower from where we saw a herd of elephants. After the safari, by evening time, we bid adieu to Corbett and started the onward journey to mesmerising Kasauni, where too, we had some interesting experiences, but about that later.

WATCHTOWER OF DHIKALA 

IMAGE COURTSEY: GOOGLE

ELEPHANTS AS SEEN FROM THE TOWER

My love for forests is definitely going to take me back to Jim Corbett again, to stay in those forest lodges, to relive those moments and sight those beautiful birds and animals in their habitat.