11th Mar/Mon: Corbett National Park 3
Morning and afternoon safaris in Dhikala zone of Corbett. The variety of wildlife and landscapes in Corbett is unparalleled not only in India, and it can be easily said to be among the top 3 national parks in the world. Trip Advisor chose Corbett to be the 2nd most popular park in the world.
Tigers of Corbett have a dark orange coat that makes them very attractive. Male tigers in Corbett are rarely seen and would occasionally snarl on seeing a tourist vehicle. Tigresses of Corbett are the prettiest in the entire country. Some of them have become bold and do not hesitate to come out with their young cubs.
The terrain of Corbett is a mix of dense woodlands, open grasslands, riverbeds. The light in different backdrops is quite different and dramatic. Seeing tigers in these different backdrops in one jungle is unique. Corbett is also a great place to photograph birds. It is common to see some raptors perched on trees next to the Ramganga river waiting for their food.
The reserve is of course well known and very popular so that when a tiger is spotted a group of jeeps soon collects. However numbers are regulated and the jeeps are not allowed to leave the tracks. The secret lies in being able to predict where a tiger will re-emerge after disappearing from sight. The guides become quite expert at this. Although we were able to identify two different female tigers each known to have 3 or 4 cubs we did not achieve any sighting of the cubs themselves.
During the afternoon a small heard of elephants was observed moving in the direction of the river and we could reach a vantage point where we were rewarded with a clear view of them crossing. A simple wooden bridge has been built for the jeeps to cross but it probably does not survive the monsoon.
white-breasted kingfisher, barking deer.
