The Land of Trumpet, Roar n Song.

[prashantsingh]

Thanks Pran for putting those snaps.
Corbett National Park has the highest density of (wild) Tigers in the world.
But if your ONLY aim is to see a tiger in the wild, Do Not come to Corbett.
The vegitation in Corbett is such that you do not see tigers easily. It is rare for people (like Dr Dushyant) to see the Corbett Tiger in the first day of their first trip. Infact most people going to the Park come back disappointed.
If you have to go to Corbett . Go for the grasslands. Go for the bird songs. Go for the wild elephants and large herds of Cheetal.
If you get to see the Tiger. Consider yourself lucky. Really Lucky.

The tiger in Corbett is not like the Gir Lion or Ranthambore Tiger.
If you have to photograph tigers . Go to Ranthambore. It's a smaller reserve with dry open areas where tigers are (comparitively) easier to spot.

The Terai Tiger is still wild. It's a tiger which knows no fear . The tiger which inspires poets and writers.
The elusive King of the jungle.
The tiger, which still turns maneater.

[ckkalyan]

Nice work prashanthsingh, exciting trip for Dushyant too!

He just about framed the fearful semmetry!

Reminds me of...

THE TIGER - William Blake

TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

[Pran]

More of Doc's pics-
'Sambar Road'









Pran

[Vikram]

Another brilliant thread and set of photos from you,Prashant. Thanks for sharing and thanks to Pran for posting them.

That photo of a herd of elephants was really good.


Best-
Vikram

[timmy]

Prashant, Mr. Modi needs to take a note: Your thread is a very effective encouragement of tourism! Looking at your pics makes me want to come and see these sights so badly! Having a howdah ride would be so much fun!

But the icing on the cake is your narrative, which puts me right beside you, looking for the elusive glimpse of the big cat, with that mindful gnawing in the pit of my stomach that reminds me that we're dealing with a man-eater here, a beast that could tear us to shreds and gobble us down at its leisure, under a big tree in the heat of the day.

Thanks so much for your thread and pics, and to Pran for posting!

[Baljit]

Prashant

I am so sorry about the pictures you send it to me.Your email went to spam,this is why I can't find the pictures.

Now Pran post those pictures for you,I think there is no point to post it here again.

I hope you understand this.

Any way very will written by you and all the pictures are amazing.Looking forward for more report.

Baljit

[prashantsingh]

No problem Baljit. Pran offered to post these snaps so I sent them to him.

The next morning we got up at 5 a.m.
Since the attack had taken place near the Forest Rest House I took my binocs and scanned the area, I saw a couple of vultures sitting on an old dry tree. Perhaps the mother and cub had made a kill later in the night after their failed attempt (the previous evening).
So we changed the plan of action.
We decided to take the elephants instead.
The elephant takes you where the jeep can not.
A jackal family feeding on a fresh cheetal confirmed that the tigers had not slept hungry. We came upon the kill soon with it's head placed perfectly. From a distance one could not make out that the animal was actually dead. On closer inspection one could see only the head and a part of the neck. The rest of the deer had been gorged upon the previous night. No attempt to hide the kill were made. Infact there was nothing much left of it to hide anyway. The "mahaut" told us that a tigress with three cubs is roaming around in this part. We realised that we had seen the same family the previous evening, and the two other cubs had quietly slipped away.
We saw fresh pug marks of the tigers and even wet sand indicating that the tigers had walked past recently. An adult tiger can eat as much as 20 kgs of meat at a time. The family had indeed spent the hot summer night in the waterhole after a good meal. Keeps them cool and the (stuffed) stomach light. The approaching elephants had disturbed them again and like ghosts they had vanished without a trace into the thick jungle. Elephants have a keen sense of smell. They can smell tigers from a distance and guide you there. Inspite of all efforts the two hour search with three other elephants proved futile.

Apart from the Vultures (Red Headed and Egyptian) we saw the rare Pallas Fish Eagle (which is India's answer to your bald eagle - Timmy ), Black Francolin ,Pitta, Black shouldered kite,Green bee eater and a Paradise Flycatcher.
In the evening we took the jeep ride again. Went on Sambhar road which lives up to it's name. We saw lots of Sambhar deer there. Sambhar: The largest deer species in India.

[xl_target]

I must congratulate you on another excellent narrative, Prashant.
I really enjoyed the photos as well.
Keep them coming, please.

[Pran]

More of Doc's pics-

The Vultures


Pallas Fish Eagle


Black Shouldered Kite


Black Francolin


Green Bee Eater


Jackals


Pug Marks


Sambar


Spotted Deer Stags


Oink Oink!


Pran

[prashantsingh]

Thanks Pran for the snaps. Sorry for the trouble. I will ask you to put up one last set of photos before I end this post.

The first snap is that of the vultures we spotted early morning.
On the left is the Egyptian Vulture and on the right is the Red headed vulture.

The second snap is the black shouldered kite (in flight).
The third is that of the Palla's Fish Eagle.
In the two days we spent in Corbett we spotted more than 50 different species.

[brihacharan]

Hi Prashant,
> Tell you what....
> I've been showing your posts (also reading them out) & the pictures to my 2 grandchildren aged 12 & 6....
> They are thrilled to no end & are eager to know, when the next post will arrive
> So does their grandpa
> Beautifully documented (text & pics) ...hats off off to you Prashant & Pran....
Cheers
Briha

[Pran]

No problemo, Doc.

You are welcome folks. I'm only posting them for Doc. Dr.Prashant and Dr.Dushyant have done all the hardwork.

Pran

[Pran]

What's this one trying to say, Doc?








Pran

[brihacharan]

Hi Pran,
> Your photographs do speak a 1000 words
> Beautifully captured....
Briha

[Pran]

Hello Briha,
The pics are taken by Doc. I have merely posted them for him.
Pran