A Safari Day at Jim Corbett National Park 2/2
Contd from Part 1….
It was the controlled burning of the forest area by the forest departments. In peak summer, natural forest fires are likely. Such controlled burning therefore, is an important measure of wildfire prevention, ecosystem management and habitat restoration. However, my ranger was surprised that these were occurring right now and not a few weeks later as was customary. The little ash specks flew over as we continued along our journey. Now usually such a drive into the area of fire is a gone case from the start as far as tiger spotting is concerned. The tiger will run away from the fire, but of course. Ideally, we should’ve turned back and waited near the faithful pugmarks. However, it was in this semi burnt open areas that we made our “worth-the-while” sightings. We spotted a Stone Chat (perched on wild grass), a Grey Bush Chat (female) and at least three White Throated Kingfishers. We spotted two Crested Serpent Eagles. We also spotted a Changeable Hawk Eagle. We got a wonderful picture where the hawk eagle was looking straight at our camera. As the eagle spotted us it flew away to a higher perch after obliging us with ceremonial photographs.. After this we ventured back into the hilly terrain of this gate. We waited near a ‘promising place’ for nearly 45 minutes eagerly waiting for the tigers. Perhaps I was not so eager as I dozed off for at least 20 of all those minutes. The jeep was at rest in a peacefully silent jungle. Show me a better place for an afternoon snooze. I’ll wait.
When I woke up, I hadn’t missed out on much. Soon we made our way back to the gate. On way we spotted another woodpecker. It was green backed with a bit of red on its head. Could be the Great Slaty Woodpecker. I didn’t get a good look. This particular gate I was told was a good place to see birds like Great Hornbill and Pied Hornbill too. In fact, for birders a Great Hornbill sighting is akin to a tiger sighting. Today was not a day for either sighting for us. |
Original Photograph © Hansa Sinha
We were disappointed at not having spotted any tiger. Helpless I thought to myself. What does this mean? Does it mean that we are wasting our time and should give up on tigers? Is it that we are not meant to see them? Tiger gods not happy with us? Is it some bad karma? Are we too desperate to see the tigers and therefore not able to see them? I think I was more desperate to seek answers, find meanings. Another possibility could be, I thought to myself as we drove past a patch of Teaks and Sals, that nature is trying to teach us something. Perhaps we are different than those one-time lucky tourists. Perhaps we are meant to come back. Perhaps the jungle knows that this is not our time to spot a tiger and then go back to our city lives. Perhaps there are many things to learn and to see before we spot that elusive cat. Is it our life purpose? Is the result of this wait going to be a sweet one? Is the jungle trying to teach us patience. Maybe the lesson here is to surrender and enjoy whatever the nature is trying to show us than the other way round. Or perhaps the day we would spot tigers was already written in destiny and we just had to run the course, show up for all the visits before that happy life changing sighting. I comforted myself with these thoughts as I hopelessly hoped to see the tiger at the gate itself. What I spotted instead were some officers (not sure as they were in plain clothes) playing volleyball. Our ranger got off and we headed back to our resort, silent.
Tomorrow is another day.
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