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At
the very outset, I want to inform all the readers and fellow adventurers
that this is going to be a more general write-up for now and not
as detailed as those of previous censuses. I am participating in
a trans-Himalayan expedition, the preparation of which is giving
me very little time for any other work. However, due to the amazing
and unexpected responses to the previous detailed write-ups, I shall
do a detailed day by day account on my return.
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One of the gorgeous tigers at Corbett seen during the census 2003 |
 My companions for the census this time were close friends, karishma and Ankur |
After
tons of confusion over the dates and which of my friends was finally
accompanying me for this census, one was finally on the way to Corbett
on the 17th of May. My companions for the trip were two close friends
from Mumbai, ex-Delhiites, Karishma and Ankur. The journey to Ramnagar
was quite uneventful, except for the thrilling realisation that
after ten years, the authorities had finally decided to start doing
something about the road between Moradabad and Kashipur! Despite
this repair, the balance undone section delayed us enough to make
it an over 5 hours journey.
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I
was delighted when my request to also be stationed at Gairal for
a couple of days was accepted, as I had personal bookings already.
I wanted to, along with the census work, also show these friends,
who were first time visitors to Corbett, which those amazing places
were that I had spoken so many times about. I'm quite glad I did
because although I loved trekking in the Malani area on the first
day, I knew it wouldn't have been too enjoyable to my friends. It
was quite a dry area and the terrain was quite a taxing one for
people not used to it. The Gairal area on the other hand has the
river, that you cross and drink from every time you do so. Another
reason I'm glad we went to Gairal is that, I'm sure thanks to their
beginners' luck, we got to see eight tigers in those three days!
All in all we got the best on all accounts, including sitting outside
your rest house on a full moon night.
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 The first days trek was definitely quite taxing due to the heat and lack of water bodies |
 The first bit of excitement thanks to this handsome tusker |
On
entering the Gairal side, one of the first moments of pure excitement
did not involve tigers but my favourite, a tusker. Driving from
Gairal to Dhikala, we came across a handsome specimen walking towards
us around a bend in the road. This was our first bit of excitement
at a place called Jhirnajali. We were to see a lot more here over
the next few days - six out of the eight tigers we saw during the
trip! There were more adventures during the trip with tuskers too,
coming across one even during a trek on the last day. The animals
and birds of Corbett did not disappoint us as always and we saw
more than our fair share of them. Even a monitor lizard, which normally
dart of into the undergrowth at the slightest of movement, walked
right up to and almost underneath our halted car.
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Besides
the excellent time we had, there was also some serious trekking
and work involved. The trips into the jungle were regular and not
one was missed. Pugmarks were traced, some made into plaster casts
and strides were measured. The relevant data was entered onto the
specially printed tracing sheets. Although our work ended with the
trek, the ranger or the senior most of the wildlife staff at our
location, would then sit down and complete the rest of the paperwork
and reports. After seeing the dedication with which those guys do
their work, it made my blood boil when I read in an article in a
National Newspaper that some volunteers at another location had
gone back and said that the forest guards were fooling the public
and were actually going out at night and making the pugmarks with
casts. I have not heard a more ridiculous accusation about the staff
at Corbett!
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 measuring the stride of the animal, which helps in determining it's length and overall size |
 Joshi Ji and his amazingly steady hands traces a pugmark from the glass onto a sheet |
The
best news came towards the end of the census, when it became apparent
that there had been quite a substantial increase in the number of
tigers in the Corbett Tiger Reserve. I can only hope that the same
holds true across the entire country. I personally have a strong
hunch that I'm correct in my feeling that Corbett tigers are always
going to fare better than those in other parks. I feel what is considered
a problem of huge proportions for the wildlife staff and the jungle,
is actually a boon for the tigers due the cover it provides. This
is the uncontrollable take over of this forest area by the "weed"
called Lantana. I sincerely hope that this factor, or any other
reason that may be responsible for the growth in numbers of tigers,
is responsible for an even larger tally by the time I go for the
census in 2005. Would never miss it for the world !
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