“A Tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage and that when he is exterminated – as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support – India will be the poorer, having lost the finest of her fauna. “ – Jim Corbett

I sure agree with Jim Corbett. Well, largely. However, I do criticise the use of the word ‘gentleman’ for Tiger. It was quite non-inclusive. It should have been gentleman/ gentlewoman. No? 😀 😀 I am not kidding.

So now, Tigers! 🐅 🐅

Welcome to Episode 3 of the fourth theme of our ongoing campaign, ‘Rediscover India, Incredible India’.

Last week, we asked you to guess the name of the national park that was named after a hunter & naturalist who killed many man-eating Tigers back in the day. Were you able to guess?

Well, it’s Jim Corbett of the famous Jim Corbett National Park.

The first national park of India, Jim Corbett National Park is a deciduous forest popular for Tigers, a wide variety of birds & beautiful views of Sal, Haldu, Rohini & Mango trees.

Jungle Safaris of Jim Corbett

The best part about the Jim Corbett Park is that sighting a Tiger inside the forest is difficult & rare except Dhikala zone safaris (let’s talk about that in a while). The forest is so dense that you can’t spot any far-off spots. The Tiger might be walking a few ft. away but won’t be visible because of the thick foliage. Believe me, it has happened to us multiple times. 😅😅 In such cases, one has to make do with imprints of Tiger’s paw signs 🐾 🐾 and find solace in the fact that there are Tigers inside the Jungle even if you can’t spot them.

Your guide and driver (if you are lucky) will try super hard to ensure that you sight a Tiger but the sighting will depend upon various factors: time of the day, climate/ weather, mood of the Tiger & how kind the forest is on that day. What? You don’t believe me?

There are about six zones in Jim Corbett, each one more beautiful than the previous: Jhirna, Garjiya, Bijrani, Dhela – all of them! But nothing beats the magnificence of Dhikala zone.

With a guaranteed Tiger sighting, it’s almost impossible to book your safari in Dhikala zone if you are not careful. When you visit Dhikala, you stay inside the forest (unlike any other zone). Your gypsy comes with you & together, all of you enjoy the extended adventure inside the forest with no mobile network, plenty of fresh air & easy access to wildlife of India.

As you are right in the middle of the forest in Dhikala, a Tiger sighting becomes much easier which is why Dhikala bookings happen months in advance & finish up within a matter of few days from the time it opens up.

The bounties of forest

If you don’t get the chance to stay in Dhikala or spot a Tiger in any of the other zones, don’t be discouraged. The forest is beautiful & you can still enjoy the beautiful sunrise, fresh air & the incredible wildlife if you give the forest a chance.

Full of Sambhar Deer, Barking Deer, Spotted Deer, Langoors, NightJar, Himalayan Black Bears, Crocodiles, Gharials, and my favourite, Indian Elephants, the park is so gorgeous that wasting your safari over not being able to spot the Tiger is a shame.

Have you ever observed a herd of elephants? Spent an hour or two watching them go about doing their daily activities? Enjoyed the sight of baby elephants playing & jumping around with its siblings or mother while the tusker of the group remains vigilant & ensures safety for the group?

If not, please be careful when you try a stunt like these. Young elephants often consider ‘charging’ an act of play. 😅😅 I have been in situations where we were saved just by a few seconds because a few elephants decided to flip our gypsy over. You know, just for fun! 😂

Being an Indian, it’s a matter of pride to enjoy the forests, and its incredible wildlife. My heart grows fonder of my motherland when I find a herd of elephants enjoying their lives (at a safe distance of course), or spot a bunch of Sambhar & Spotted deer playing in the grasslands or sight a Royal Bengal Tiger within the Jungle. In those moments, I realise how lucky I am to be born in this incredible country.