Kosi River Corbett National Park

Photo Credit Ruchi Patel

This is Corbett National Park in Uttranchal State of India. The Kosi River along with Ramganga is the life lines of this ecosystem. The placid rivers are one of the most pristine and unspoiled in the country. They are home to enchanting creatures that thrive under the waters and besides.

The rivers are home to crocodiles, gharials, and many species of turtles and fishes. The rivers are part exotic landscape of this reserves. The most attractive species that inhabit this ecosystem are tigers, leopards, elephants, goral, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, serow, yellow throated martin and many more.

It is possible to trek along these river systems outside the park areas. The walk yields exciting birds and animals to see. Tigers and elephants cross over these rivers but mostly in the night hours. However precautions should be taken to keep a distance from wild animals that thrive here in plenty. Some of the male tuskers are known to charge at humans. Birders frequent treks along these rivers in quest of avian species that abounds on the banks.  It is hence wise to trek in groups and stay together.  

Corbett National Park offers exciting elephant safaris in North India. Hundreds of elephants descend upon the river beds and grasslands from the higher reaches of Shivalik Hills on the foothills of Himalayas.  

Ramganga Tigers

When you visit Corbett from the Dhangarhi Gate you get a breathtaking view of Ramganga River. Unpolluted and crystal clear the waters appear blue surrounded by glistening white stones. The pristine river flows between low lying hills of the foothills and accords panoramic glamor to the landscape. 

The river flows adjacent as you drive on towards Dhikala Complex through the dense Corbett canopy. It plays hide and seek as it appears besides you and then vanishes behind a curtain of Sal and mixed forest trees. The forests are home to magnificent tigers who hunt beside the river thanks to a good prey base. Like all animals tigers are attracted to water especially in the summers.    

The sight at High Bank and Crocodile Pool is stunning, Ramganga and its sandy beach along side forest clad mountains.  You can see crocodiles and gharials basking in the sandy beach, the river is full of Golden Mahseer and Turtles some very big. From the dizzy height you peep right into the belly of the enchanting river.

The riverside canopy is very dense and hides wild elephants that start descending from November onwards. Tigers can be seen here crossing the road and one can track them from the alarm cries of the prey. The most striking spectacle I once witnessed was a tiger crossing the river in bright sunlight - Golden Stripes.

At the riverside Champion Road and Sambar Road are the best places to look for tigers. Dhikala Chaud, Thandi Sadak and near by places yield good tiger sightings for the lucky ones. The land of Corbett is last remaining patch of wonderful forests of Terai. Here Jim Corbett killed many man eating tigers and leopards.

But sadly the big cats are loosing ground until we do not do something the species may be lost for ever in the wild.     

*Note: You can enter Dhangarhi Gate on jeep safari only if you are staying at the RH inside the park.  

Jim Corbett the invincible hunter

I have read most of the hunting episodes of Jim Corbett the legendary hunter and conservationist. I have been much impressed by his word by word account of innumerable hunts. He gained reputation as a valiant hunter of man eating tigers in Northern India at Uttaranchal that was once part of Uttar Pradesh.  

He  was born at Naini Tal in 1875 and rose on to become a colonel in the British Army.  Being an ace marksmen he was frequently called by the then United Provinces Government to shoot man eating tigers that had created havoc in the hills of Nainital and elsewhere. 

The incidents happened mostly in the districts of Kumaon and Garhwal. His popularity rose with each success and he soon became famous among the villagers as Carpet Shahib. It was his fascination for forest life that turned him into a hunter. Late in life he shot only man eating tigers and leopards and game for food. 

He shot around thirty three man eating leopards and tigers during his life time. Jim was fascinated by jungle life and its denizens. He also loved the rustic populace whom he saved from tormenting scourge of man eaters.  The small museum at Choti Haldwani stands testimony to life and times of the hunter turned conservationist. 

Some of his accounts slaying man eating cats are published in the following books.

Panar Leopard

Leopard of Rudraprayag

Champavat Tiger

Chowgarh Tigress

Temple Tiger 

Man eaters of Kumaon 

Bachelor of Powelgarh

Corbett warned about the dwindling numbers of big cats in India and turned into a conservationist. He also took to wildlife photography and filmed the magnificent cats using his camera.    

The Corbett National Park & Tiger Reserve is named after him.

Tiger by the River

It was 3 years back and I was leading a German bird watching group at Corbett. Birding is very time consuming and requires lot of concentration. The group wanted both birding as well as tiger sighting. The latter becomes difficult when you are in quest for birds. But nevertheless I was keeping an eye in the avian species as well as the tigers.  

It was early April but heat had picked up we were on five jeeps all scattered but on the same route. Somewhere around the Bank of Ranganga I heard one sambar alarm cry which was never repeated. Much to the chagrin of the jeep driver I asked him to stop. Within seconds the alarm cries were repeated on the other side of the river. These were spotted deer who were moving into the forest at frantic pace.    

This was enough to tell you that there is a predator in the vicinity. "Quite close by," I told my bewildered guests. This was the first experience for them of sounds of the jungle in India. We began to wait for the predator to emerge. Lot of time passes...the impatient driver and the guest now irate at losing precious birding time look at me with a bit of irritation. Lot more time had passed and nothing happened.

I had an inclination that the predator had heard the jeep sound and was hiding in the bush somewhere near. Their was a pin drop silence all the way now but the tiger as I presumed it to be was coolly lying down at peace with itself.           

Other jeeps with the rest of my guests in total fifteen had reached us by now and I told the jeep drivers to wait in total silence. I knew I was risking my job if the tiger did not emerge there would be a complaint. But I paid no heed to the drivers who were urging me to move on. 

As luck would have it a troop of macaque came across to my left. The macaques have a peculiar habit of going right near the predator and irritating it with raucous alarm cries. Hari Lamba the local birding guide on other jeep  also knew this. I asked my guests to watch the movement of the leader and eagerly they did. The leader went right up to the spot where the big cat was hiding. He began to cry frantically from the tree nearby, and within few moments a huge male emerged. I had asked my guests to keep the camera ready but none could photograph in that exciting moment. We could see the tiger moving besides us about 30 yards and vanish into the deep confines on the bushes on the bank. 

That was it I had tracked the tiger! The cheers that followed were heartening. But not for some guides and jeep drivers, the lot here have a peculiar habit of expressing their "no ledge" and very rudely at times. I have not experienced anything like this elsewhere. The staff respects the age and experience of old timers, not here.    

At the forests near the Dhikala accommodation we had heard alarm cries the evening before but could not locate the tiger hidden well inside. The jungles of India are full of surprises.  While returning to the rest house through the same road, we were still in trance with what had happened. Then what happens, the yesterdays tiger emerges from that very spot, crosses the road approaches us and vanishes into the vegetation across. This time my guests managed to photograph a tiger without head (behind a tree trunk at that moment) and other pic of its bum about 5/6 feet away from us. What a way to store eternal memories!           

Hey! I had no role play here except taking a weak chance, nevertheless it all boiled down to me. I could not understand German but the smiles told me a lot. 

Corbett - Incredible - Unforgettable

It is not on tiger safaris that I got to know this wildlife heaven better. I visited Corbet Tiger Reserve many years back and the destination surprised me no end. But I got to know the tiger heaven better on my birding trips in last few years.   

The keystone species are tiger, leopard, wild elephant and among the reptiles it is the endangered Gharial and Mugger. The latter two are easily sighted at crocodile pond but the foremost two are bit difficult to sight. I have sighted tigers on many occasions but the leopard none. Only leopard sighting I had was on way up to Sat Tal in Naini Tal District. 

Though tourism still has a free hand in this park with private vehicles creating the greatest nuisance. Nevertheless wildlife has increased in this National Park with a large number of tigers inhabiting the wonderful reserve. Of late the big cats are seen more and more than earlier. Another great attraction is the wild elephant whose numbers increase with the onset of summers.  Hundred of pachyderms gather around the the Kalagarh Dam and Dhikala Chaur the most coveted for accommodations, wildlife watching and birding.   

Other mammals seen here are leopard, spotted deer, barking deer, Goral, sambar deer, sloth bear,  rhesus macaque, Hanuman Langur, hog deer, yellow throated martins, otters, Himalayan Black Bear, jungle cat, leopard cat and fishing cat.

Birders know that for them this is a paradise with more than five hundred bird species inhabiting the reserve.  In Northern India this is the most coveted destination for bird watching besides Bharatpur and Sattal. The attractions are many: Great Hornbill, Great Slatyheaded Woodpecker, Siberian ruby throat, wall creeper, Ibisbill, red breasted parakeet, plum headed parakeet, Alexandrine Parakeet, Himalyan Bubul, White cheeked bulbul, Streak throated woodpecker, grey faced woodpecker, greater and lesser racket tailed drongo, white bellied drongo, white rumped shama. commom magpie  and Himalayan Flameback

At Corbett I have seen both Scarlet and Long Tailed Minivets besides Rosy Minivets and small minivet. Paradise flycatchers can be seen  with onset of summer. The list can go on and on. 

The park is one of the most picturesque thanks to the enchanting river Ramganga that flows through the finest forests within the reserve. The white sandstone on the banks and crystal clear blue waters are a mesmerizing spectacle to experience. The forest are most enchanting with exciting safaris to thrill you down to the bones. There are long trails of forests around the buffer zones but not intact. Places like Choti Haldwani and near by places where Jim Corbett used to hunt man eaters are bustling townships with very little natural land left. Only at Corbett National Park do you experience true wilderness.        

Best way to reach Corbett is via Ramnager which is about 11 km from the Dhangari Gate. In order to visit the Dhikala Zone one should be staying at accommodations or Rest House within the zone. Sarapduli and Dhikala are the preferred accommodations in terms of what they have to offer. Other entrances are the Aam Danda Gate, Durga Devi Gate and Kalagarh Gate (Jhirna).  

Maneaters at Corbett

On my recent birding tours I was saddened to find out that a women had been killed by a tiger or tigress. This happened on the way to Dhikala gate near a village. Though the animal could not be located another killing took place some distance away. One of the incident took place in broad daylight as I heard.

Every year one or two man eating incidence takes place. While most of the cases may be accidental, one or two are premeditated attacks. This does not augur good for the animal. But in most of the tiger reserves in the country the number of people in the buffer zone is very high. The intrusion is on daily basis in the buffer that was supposed to distance human settlements from prime areas. But in recent times there is a murky line that separates the human settlements with habitat.

With conservation efforts the wildlife has saturated buffer zones. Especially in parks like Corbett in Uttaranchal, Kanha, Pench and Bandhavgarh. The status of buffer zones are practically as same as the core. New guidelines are called for for mapping our valuable assets. While people have a large land mass to settle, wildlife is surviving in a limited area that too with regular human intrusions. 

Corbett is an exciting birding destination and supports lots of wildlife wild elephants and tigers. More than hundred tigers find home in the preserve. Efficient management is key to conservation success. It is a well managed park as rising population of tigers indicate. But tourism should be managed the way it is being done at Central Indian Tiger Reserves.

Trekking tiger at Corbett

It was just a faint sound that caught my ears. I knew well that it was an alarm cry of the Sambar. I brought the jeep to halt with a tap on the shoulder of the bewildered driver.

“There is a tiger here” I said to my guest from Germany. They were bit perplexed because they could not see one. Then the alarm cries of spotted deer confirmed my deduction. The deer were across the Ramganga river and could see them through my binoculars. They were constantly warning and moving in the opposite direction on full alert. I knew now where the tiger was.

It was somewhere on the bank of the river towards us and probably in the deep nullah down the slope of the hill we were on. We waited for a long time, the Sambar call from over the hill had died down and so had the calls of the spotted deer.

I told my guests that we have a fair chance to see the tiger if it decides to come out in the open , where we could see it. My guests were bit impatience doubting as to if the tiger was actually there. “Come out Mr. Tiger or I will be proved wrong” I whispered to my self.

I was screening my surroundings as we waited silently…then out of blue a small troop of rhesus macaque arrived on the other side of the jungle road.

“We will see the tiger now! The monkeys will fetch the tiger for us,” I announced elated. By this time the rest of our group had also arrived behind us. “Move slowly towards the macaques,” I instructed the driver. He did so and so did the rest. Now we were in full view of the mountain slope.

The rhesus is like a curious cat and is afraid of the tiger and emits a strange clucking sound as alarm cry. Unlike other prey species they do not move away. The rhesus or red faced monkeys have a habit of going right next to the tiger (up a tree of course) and give its game away. They did right that and an irritated tiger rose up from the nullah and came right unto our view.

We were on a birding trip to North India that covered Bharatpur, Nainital district and Corbett National Park in Uttranchal. After a successful bird tour, we were on the last leg of our trip at Corbett. Birding was our focus but so was the tiger…obviously.

Our package tour to North India for birding struck success with the tiger sighting. It is not always possible to sight tigers like this.

We could see it rushing past right through the short bushes. A tiger sighting had been made and people from far were elated. Tourists on tiger safaris come from far and wide to see the tiger. Whence they succeed in sighting the charismatic tiger all the effort, time and cost is paid for.

Where can I see the tiger?

Lot of tourists come to India hoping to see the tiger - rare and endangered - charismatic and powerful. Many ask me where can I see the tiger best?

There are many qualities about the Bengal tiger which makes it extremely popular all over the World. Myths and legends galore and the superhuman prowess of the tiger's strength the list is endless and would go on and on. Certainly I have encountered very few tourists who wished to see a tiger because it was endangered - Believe me!

Another reason is the thrill that the animal exudes among humans at its sight. Unfortunately many myths and mysticism associated with the animals has been the reason for its persecution. The tiger's power and strength has made many people believe that any part you consume of the tiger will deliver potent effect....nothing can be far from truth. Hence Chinese system of medicine is committed to the same fallacy and the tiger suffers. For most of the tiger poaching is due to the demand for its bones and other body parts in Chinese medicines. (SIC!)

Well, coming back to the question the best places to see the tiger in India are definitely as follows:

Kanha National Park - Central India

Bandhavgarh National Park - Central India

Pench National Park - Central India

Ranthambhore National Park - Rajasthan

Corbett National Park - Uttaranchal

Panna National Park

Choose these places in order for a tiger safari tour to see the tiger. Kanha and Bandhavgarh are my favorite places. All the above are tiger reserves and receive good degree of protection under Project tiger hence the tiger population is growing here.

When planning for a tiger safari in India one must first find out all about where to see the tiger best in accordance with one's itinerary. Contact a good travel agent online and get maximum tour details possible.

It is best to plan our trip in advance and assure all the travel details before leaving for the trip. There are many luxury hotels in Kanha and other National Parks. Choose the one that fits your budget and delivers what you desire. Many luxury hotels at Bandhavgarh, Pench and Kanha arrange tiger safaris for your trip. Some even provide trained naturalist guide service withing the package.

A minimum three nights package tour is advised since in that period you have an optimum chance of tiger sighting in the parks. Though tiger tourism in India is expensive some what but it is worth going for a tiger safari on your visit to India. Safaris are the best ways to celebrate holidays and long vacations.

The best season is always except during the holiday period and festival times when the traffic in the parks could be unnerving and hinder wildlife sightings. These places are by all means good for birding trips especially in winters when the migrants arrive.