Monday, December 27, 2010

Getting Personal with nature at Corbett


Someone somewhere has quoted an exceptionally touching expression about nature saying “there is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story”. We couldn’t help but agree. Taking a break from our busy life, when we do listen to it, the secrets of nature reveal to us themselves. So, trying to listen to nature at Jim Corbett National Park, undoubtedly the most celebrated wildlife reserve in the country wasn’t obviously a bad deal. A quiet jeep ride into the core of the jungle was simply an amazing mix of high hills, green meadows, emerald swamps and of course wildlife.
And speaking of the wildlife the word ‘tiger’ is almost synonymous to Corbett since; this part of the world is known for its most ambitious wildlife conservation initiative concerning the existing number of tigers left in the country. The first of its kind in the country, this project was aimed at protecting the critically endangered Bengal tigers in the entire region. Blessed with a rich Himalayan topography this park has always been an admired destination for nature lovers and tiger spotting has been almost like a religion for those who seek to know this land from a close proximity.
We were no different. We embarked on this exciting venture with the first rays of sun creeping into the greens and lucky we were to chance upon many a marvelous life in the jungle from the Jungle cat, Leopard cat, crocodiles, and birds to monkeys. The morning breeze kissing your face leaves a chill down your spines but the sunrise gradually lighting up the jungle while you trot on you jeep is something very beautiful yet difficult to describe. Nevertheless, spotting a tiger, the star resident of the jungle wholly dependent on luck and we thanked our stars for that amazing spectacle of a tiger soaking up the sun in a languid morning! Seeing the fresh pug marks of a tiger on muddy trails were our added delight but otherwise, those without a royal tiger glimpse swear by the thrill of discovering pug marks. The rest of our jeep safari summed up to a grand view of the jungle covering an area of total 522 kilometers at the foot hills of the great Himalayas. However, for the sake of that pure form of nature, core areas of the park are not open for visitors. We never minded this restriction because at times, we should leave certain things for those they belong to.
Violating the nature’s eccentricity was never our motive. The music of the jungle was enough for us. Someday, we may want to relive those happy hours of our rendezvous with nature again at Corbett and listen to the fabulous tales of life from the verdant landscapes. Corbett never disappoints anyone. The jeep safari was just another way of exploring it. As of now, the sun was getting stronger by the time we finished a satisfying tour inside the park. Taking it as a signal from nature to leave it to its solitude, we left behind this amazing world. It was probably getting ready for another battle of survival in this ever changing world.