Jim Corbett National Park ---- The Land of roars and trumpets ----

Jim Corbett National Park

---- The Land of roars and trumpets ----

A photo assay

In a career as a Wildlife Expedition leader spanning over 10 years I have traveled the length and breadth of India’s remotest and tourist friendly national parks and Tiger Reserves. And yet my jinx of not able to travel to one of the most spectacular and famous Jim Corbett National park still remained unbroken. It was the summer of 2018 when finally, I could plan a trip to this aptly names Land of Roars and trumpets and broke the cursed jinx.

Here is a photo assay of the beautiful biodiversity of this amazing forest that has been serving as a safe haven for many bird and animal species and a paradise where wild Tigers and Elephants roam free.

Since years I have been seeing the sunrise / sunset photos from Jim Corbett NP on FaceBook and magazines and always had a desire to get one of my own. After shooting a hog deer in extreme early morning low light, the sun just peeped out from the mountains and started throwing a golden sheen onto the grasslands. This was purely DIVINE. I guess with this photo I managed a decent shot of the rising sun from this incredibly stunning landscape called CORBETT NP.

This was late April and the mating season for the peacocks. Saw this spectacular display from one the Peacocks trying to grab attention of a peahen. The Peacocks are highly susceptible to attacks from predators during this time of the year as the focus on mating sometimes leads them to let their guard off.

A gorgeous Khaleej Pheasant pair strutting along the forest floor.

A White Crested Laughing Thrush makes a quick yet extremely vocal appearance.

A rare Grey Headed Woodpecker

An Uncommon lapwing and credited as Near Threatened on the IUCN list the River Lapwing is a good subject to shoot especially if you can get a decent low angle shot like this one.

The Black Necked Crane. 
Although these birds are legally protected in China, India and Bhutan, the habitat modification, drying of lakes and agriculture are endangering the crane numbers. In many areas, dogs belonging to herders are a major threat to young birds.

 The Pied Kingfisher is a master of stealth. It hovers over the water body midair locking its prey and then dives in to grab its prized meal. Got this one in action. 

Even the largest mammal on this planet seems minuscule in the vast grasslands of the Terai. This was a small herd of elephants heading back to forests after foraging in the grasslands as they cross the mighty Ramganga river.

A young Tusker quenching its thirst from the Ramganga river. Males usually roam solo and only join the herd briefly during the mating season. 

Mud baths serve a critical purpose for elephants. Under the harsh African sun, the heat and UV radiation can be deadly and with their few hair and sweat glands they have to find other ways to cool off. Furthermore, it also restricts the harborage of parasites that make the Elephants skin their home. This young calf learns the tricks of the trade by copying the adults in the herd.

While an adult Elephant is a force to reckon with and has virtually no natural predators in the wild, the young calf is extremely vulnerable. If separated from the herd, it could easily be a Tiger's meal. The adult females from the herd are exceptionally protective of the young calves and even while moving they make sure that the little ones are always safeguarded from any external threats. 

Tiger sighting in Jim Corbett National park is extremely difficult primarily due low density of tigers compared to the huge area. I was immensely lucky to spot not 1 but 3 individual tigers on my first trip here. This picture was one of the tigresses that we spotted on the famous sambhar road in the late hours of the evening safari.

Although sighting a tiger in a safari is always special, what really made me fall in love with Corbett NP was the sheer beauty of the landscape and the diversity of the animal life found here. The above picture is one of my favorite tiger pictures. An animal that I fell in love with as a kid and one that made me take a career that helped me follow my passion and dreams. I am lucky to still live up that dream.

Make a trip to this Tiger land and get astounded by one of the best sights the natural world has to offer.