After landing and a bumpy but not too long drive to Tiger Camp at Corbett National Park, I was met by the most amazingly smiley faces, welcoming me at the reception with warmth and friendliness. As previously mentioned the wildlife I knew was going to be exotic and amazing but on my first day I never expected to be called into the ‘fun ranger’ Mikma’s hut to be greeted by the biggest lizard I had ever seen, a monitor lizard clinging on to the side of the hut with huge claws. Its beady eyes and body not moving an inch, it didn’t even look like it was breathing. Definitely a good start to this trip!

One of Vanghat's many pools

The next day we jumped into the back of a Gypsy we set off for the short drive to Vanghat, in the Ramganga Valley. On route we saw a crested serpent eagle soar above us and land on a nearby branch with a snake in its claws, as well as a lesser fish eagle rising in the airs hot vents. 

That evening at Vanghat we walked to a beautiful deep slow flowing pool hidden in the valley where we could see the huge golden mahseer swimming below us. On the walk we came across all types of fantastic birds, greater yellownape woodpeckers, crested kingfishers, slaty-headed and plum headed parakeets, pallas and lesser fish eagles and the stunning Asian paradise flycatcher with its long trailing tail feathers and most impressive a tawny fish owl,  which peered eagerly down at us.

Other mammal sightings included a growling wild boar as we disturbed its rummage in the bushes, a porcupine nuzzling in the undergrowth for food and Sambar and Barking Deer. It’s not just the sights of these animals that filled me with awe but the sounds were enlivening. From every angle birds chirped and mammals called.

Elephants in Dhikala

Well this is the trip I had been waiting for and I had heard many stories about people seeing the famous tigers of Corbett national park and little did I know that the next 3 days were going to be some of the best of my whole life. Dhikala was the area in the national park we were going into. The elephants were in abundance, for their size they moved so graciously and there herds were so protective of the tiny calves. Mothers and aunties would hide them as they crossed the track In front of us. One thing which I was astounded by with these huge creatures was the way they moved – silently, effortlessly you wouldn’t know they were there unless they made it really obvious! A big mugger swam at the area called high bank. No tiger today and I wasn’t holding my breath – ‘Do these elusive, fine-looking creatures really let you see them?’ I just couldn’t imagine it.

Heather in safari

Pied kingfishers dove in and out of the river collecting fish, a green and chestnut-headed bee-eaters in the grasslands, crested serpent eagles and the  huge pallas’s fish eagles scouring the river for prey. More exciting moments were to come when a large female elephant protecting its herd charged at us, was one of the scariest moments of the trip but highly exhilarating.

After the morning safari we opted for an afternoon on the watchtower. The watch tower was a large structure overlooking a river bed and many of the animals came here to drink especially in the 40’C mid day sun. Sitting there for 5 hours in the searing heat may not be everyone’s idea of fun but it was worth it, sighting a tiger one was going back into the bushes from the river. As well as wild boar having a dip to cool down we saw hog deer on the grasslands and jackals running playfully.

Once our time was up we were picked back up and headed back to camp for an elephant safari which was unfortunately cancelled due to some bad weather coming in but little did I know this was a good thing. Instead of the elephant ride we headed off again by gypsy for an evening safari. Weather was worsening so we weren’t hoping for many sightings as most of the animals would surely be sheltering from the storm? Divan our driver who had been brilliant the whole time suddenly spotted a tiger across the river heading back towards the long grass of the chaur. We stopped and looked through the binoculars and sure enough there it was leisurely strolling into the tall grass. It disappeared from view and bizarrely appearing a few seconds later in what looked like the same place stood a cheetal deer. Was it just this deer playing tricks on all our eyes or was it really a tiger!? After another 20 seconds of looking through the binoculars it was then that I spotted the tiger, watching the cheetal. It was going to kill. I said to those around me whatever you do keep an eye on that deer, its going to be prey!! We watched for what seemed like no time at all as the tiger slowly crept up behind the unsuspecting cheetal. Then the cheetals head darted up – it had heard the Tiger. With eye on the cheetal the tiger leapt through the grasses and with one swoop of its powerful paws it brought the cheetal down. With hardly a struggle the tiger had its jaws round its throat and in seconds the cheetal did not move. The tiger had it and I saw it!!! As if that wasn’t enough a 2nd Tiger emerged from the opposite side and walked towards the tiger and cheetal it had just killed. I must be dreaming I thought, this is surely too good to be true, a real life tiger kill, no one see’s this! With a gust of wind and dust flying in our faces we watched from a distance as the tigers took its prey and slinked off into the grasses! Now that was a lifetime experience!!

It was amazing to see and something that will stay in my mind forever. It was pretty gruesome but a fact of life, one which I understand has to happen to keep these extraordinary animals alive.

Elephant bath!

Next morning we had to leave the camp but not before we had our last safari. We headed off in a different direction to the routes we had taken previously and went to the reservoir where we saw basking Gharial & mugger crocodiles and woolly necked storks sitting on the banks looking for fish. We also saw black franklins on the grasslands, red headed vultures circling above us, ashy prinias and 3 brown fish owls sitting in one tree, perfectly camouflaged. Later we saw the beautiful Indian roller having a good old roll on the track in front of us and a jungle owlet swooping through the trees finding lizards for breakfast. I really don’t think I could have asked for more.

My time in Corbett National Park was now over. It’s not just the Tigers I came to see, that was just an added bonus, but the vast array of birds, mammals and reptiles. Every time I walked or was driven around the area, I was guaranteed to see something new. It fulfilled my lifetime ambition as well as giving me a new love for birding and exploration. I loved India and I will be back.

Our trip to Jilling, near Nainital, was a welcome respite from the August heat. After a short hour’s walk assisted by a guide with a horse carrying our bags, we arrived at the main house, situated just below a long ridge, from which the view of the himalayas- when free from cloud cover- is said to be fantastic. There are other houses on the mountainside, but not many, and the overall feeling is one of a peaceful haven. After the hustle and bustle of the previous days, we were suddenly filled with the desire to just relax- to sit back and read, watch the birds, and take short walks through the forest and along the ridge. Our guide helped us to discover the local fauna and flora, showed us a temple on the ridge, and spoke of his nearby village. The food was excellent, the rooms clean and comfortable, and the mountain air wonderfully cool. We left Jilling feeling well-rested and serene.

Devidhura

The beautiful drive along mountain roads from Ramnagar to Devidhura took nearly seven hours. We arrived for the final days of the Bagwal festivities, and the small village was already bustling with excitement, people congregating from all the surrounding countryside. We walked along the main street, with shops and makeshift vendors’ stalls on both sides, to the site of the temple, built in and among huge boulders shaded by ancient cedars. There also were the « altars » where goats and buffalo had been sacrificed, and we watched magnificent himalayan vultures who had come to participate in the clean-up duty. We felt like we had travelled back in time to another era : there was a man-powered ferris wheel, and groups of people listening to singers and bagpipes, a myriad of colors and odors and sounds, and a constant movement around the temple, of obvious religious significance. All the while we were watching with fascination all this activity, we felt watched ourselves, being the only foreigners present.

In the evening we attended the traditional costumed dances ; the spectacle would continue until the next morning. Back at our hotel- one of few in Devidhura- little chance of sleep, however. The dance and music spectacle was being broadcast over loudspeakers on the street outside, and inside the hotel dozens of parties continued late into the night.

The next morning found us at the open area before the temple, for the Bagwal culminating event. Throughout the morning, throngs of people gathered around, sitting on grassy slopes, on rooftops and stairways, until the central area was surrounded by a mass of colors. Then the opposing teams of village men arrived, many with large bamboo shields, working themselves into a frenzy of adrenalin. Just as the clouds let loose a torrential downpour, a signal seems to have been given, and the opposing teams began lobbing large stones at each other. In another age, men were sacrificed at Devidhura, and the modern version of this tradition demands that blood must be shed. The sky seemed to be raining rocks for a short while (some falling on bystanders), and then suddenly it was over. The opposing teams dropped their stones and ran to embrace their opponents. The spectators dispersed quickly to get under cover from the rain, and all along the road leaving Devidhura we passed buses and trucks full of people celebrating what seems to have been a « victory » for all.

As we got up in the mountains, the air became fresher and drier, the vegetation slowly changing from Sal into pine forests. We arrived in Devidhura on the 4^th of august 2009 and the first impression was that the festival brings many people from far away, bringing a lot of life to the village during this period. A market of clothes, jewelries, food and many other things was in place along the main street. We walked down towards the temple, there was a volley-ball game happening. We reached a spot where we were blissfully surprised to see about ten vultures sitting in trees below us, Himalayan Griffons, Lammergeier and Red-headed vultures. They were looking over to the place where the carcasses of buffalos are thrown, after each sacrifice. They were certainly waiting for the right moment to access the carcasses.

During the evening, we saw a show of local singing and dances, with the beautiful girls of kumaon wearing their traditional dress.

The day after, we went looking for a place with a good view overlooking the “battle field”. As we waited for the fight to begin, hundreds of people were arriving from almost everywhere, taking seats on the slopes of the hill, in anticipation of the fight.

When it began, we saw the teams that were about to fight arriving one after the other, in a ceremony of dances, drums, shouting and running, some men carrying large wicker shields. It looked very disorganised. There are actually four teams coming from four different villages, and they end up as two teams fighting against each other. While the teams were arriving, two massive clouds converged over the battle field, giving a mystic feel to the arena. After that, the fight began! As it did, the rain started falling heavily, too. The rain didn’t dampen in the atmosphere, everyone was very excited and the drums kept pounding on. Men were throwing rocks in the air to hit the other team, which is the goal of Bagwaal! In the middle of the field, a group of men carrying shields, covering themselves, were fighting with sticks.

The sight of the many stones flying through the air was astonishing but also scary since they could have hit us. The whole battle was absolutely incredible to see. To announce the end of the fight, an old man carrying a small copper shield runs among the men, waving a sort of plume around his head. After few minutes the men stopped throwing rocks and started embracing each other, the two teams mixing together. They would go to see the persons injured and congratulate them, with big smiles on their faces and also exchange their scarves. A great feeling of joy was palpable. We ended up drenched but so amazed at what we just had seen.

This festival was unbelievable and we could feel an astounding strength among all those people.

Being in Devidhura and especially during this astonishing festival could only bring us to one of Jim Corbett’s hunt for a man eater, as described in The Temple Tiger. In his story, he headed to “Dabidhura” (called nowadays Devidhura) in order to shoot a leopard man-eater that had tried to killed a man close to the great temple of the village. But when he reached the place, he decided to track and kill a tiger that was slaughtering cattle quite often in the area, a huge cause of concern for the local villagers who have very little possession. A strange thing that Jim was taught by the local priest was “I have no objection, Sahib, to your trying to shoot this tiger, but neither you nor anyone else will ever succeed in killing it”. What was so special about this tiger? A mystic feeling, once again, was covering the village.

In his many attempts to shoot the tiger, Jim faced several problems. First, he was not able to fire because of a new riffle that he didn’t know how to use properly. The next time, he shot at the tiger’s back but did not kill him or even seemed to injure him. After that, he missed the tiger by a few inches. Finally, the tiger went to Jim, while he was sitting up in a tree, waiting to shoot the cattle killer. But at this stage, Jim could not shoot him, and by firing in the air, he made the tiger disappear down the hill. After that, Jim left Dabidhura, hoping that the tiger, “this old warrior, like an old soldier, just faded away”.

Finally, the old priest was right; no one can kill the Temple Tiger.

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