Jim Corbett, wild life missionary of
Uttarakhand!
River rafting in Corbett Country!
Elsie Gabriel.
The
off beat tracks of the sub Himalayan region of the Uttarakhand state
of India is refreshingly beautiful and rustic. Not for the faint hearted and
delicate darlings. Mountainous zones filled with rough rivers is exactly what I
wanted and rightly what I discovered. Breath taking natural geographical and
ecological characteristics of one of the smallest states of India ,Uttarakhand.
Almost a dozens years ago Uttarakhand was carved out of the Himalayan zones. It
borders the Tibet Autonomous region in the north, the Mahakali zone of the far western region, Nepal
on the east, and the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the south and Himachal Pradesh to the northwest.
Known
for the Jim Corbett National park this destination is sometimes overflowing with tourist
who flock to get a glimpse of the Bengal Tiger. I must be honest, I spent two
whole days but came away believing that
over crowded jeeps full of nature lovers and tourists might be damaging
wildlife irreversibly, even if they restrict their activities to tiptoeing
discreetly through the undergrowth . There has been a lot of debate on whether
tiger tourism can help save the environment or do much damage to the
environment.
I
was pained by the rush of tourist jeeps and cacophony at dawn. Such a scurry to
make it first to the forest areas… and no wonder the creature is so elusive. It
was like he was being hunted down by hundreds of binoculars and cameras. I
didn’t come away disappointed but sad. It is partly true that revenue from
eco-tourism provides one of the best incentives for local communities to protect
endangered animals instead of hunting them. Maybe some species are more
affected by recreation than others. I simply couldn’t track the Tigers down,
although I did see many tracks of footprints. I wish you luck if you ever plan
a jeep safari to see the beautiful Tiger. Actually, the Bengal tigers, although
plentiful, are not easily spotted due to the abundance of camouflage in the
reserve, very deep jungle, the Ramganga river and a good number of preys make this reserve an ideal habitat for
tigers who are opportunistic feeders and prey upon a range of animals.
Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest National
Park in India, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Bengal Tiger. It was named after Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment. The
park was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
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It is said that Corbett,at
the tender age of ten found himself addicted to hunting . Now the Corbett park contains 488 different species of plants and a diverse
variety of fauna. It is said that wilderness here is at threat. In case
of the tigers in any given natural habitat, the biggest culprits are
deforestation and poaching, though. Tourism activity is only allowed in
selected areas of Corbett Tiger Reserve so that people get an opportunity to
see its splendid landscape .Over 586 species of resident and migratory birds have
been categorized, including the blossom headed parrot, eagles and the jungle fowls.Through
tiger tours, wildlife conservation can be enforced along with strict tourist
briefing before the actual safaris. Knowledge and motivation to protect the
endangered tigers should come first.
It is said that Colonel Jim Corbett was born at Nainital in 1875whose
father was the postmaster of Nainital.
Jim
Corbett worked in the railways at Mokama Ghat in Bihar working as fuel inspector
and assistant station master. Corbett also held the rank of a lieutenant
colonel and later served as an elected member of the Nainital municipal
Board.The Indian Government in 1956 renamed the park – Corbett National Park
in honour of Jim Corbett the powerful missionary for wildlife preservation in
India.
Besides Tigers, Leopards,barking deer,sambar deer, hog deer, chital, sloth bears,mongoose, otters, yellow throated martens,Monkeys and langurs also co-exist. I saw plenty of elephants and sloth bears around.Deer are in plentiful and so are red coloured wild fowls and Kingfishers almost everywhere near the water holes.
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I was
happy to come away for some first grade River rafting along the close by River
Kosi at Corbett Country though.
The
perennial river Kosi is a sight to behold, winding through polished boulders both
big and small which make a magnificent bed for the river, because of which the Kosi keeps
gushing all along. From Mohan through Dhikuli till Ramnagar, the Kosi forms the
eastern boundary of Jim Corbett National Park. Even though the Kosi does not
enter the Park boundary, wild animals from Corbett use it for drinking
especially during the warm seasons. The river is notorious for its
unpredictable and damaging torrents during monsoon. Like Ramganga, the Kosi too
is inhabited by mahseer and attracts migratory birds.
Rafting
here is good as the water is not so wild at places. Its always frothing and
foaming, inviting you to take the challenge to ride the waves and feel the
thrill while falling into deep gradients.
Sandy beaches line the river at intervals
allowing you to pull up alongside. The slopes on either side are covered with
pine and fir trees. I spotted deer, monkeys and water buffalo’s further down,
making my river experience even more memorable.
Eventually,
I got off the raft and wandered into the forest, with my guide close behind, ofcourse. Oh
to be enveloped by the green cover, healing, replenishing, refreshing and
refueling, re-inventing, refusing, returning, reusing, reminding, re-thinking
and reducing!!
pics copyright@elsiegabriel.com
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