Read the Jim Corbett Omnibus

The original intent was to use this space to write about our frequent treks and outings, but this blog is a detour...not an entirely unrelated one.

Ever since we visited Satoddi falls last summer and saw black panther's(acc to a localite there) pug marks near the backwaters of the Kodsalli dam, my obsession with big cats has been on the rise. It was nearing dusk, we had finished fooling around in the water under the glorious Satoddi falls and were making our way back to the place where the jeep was parked. Those of you who have visited Satoddi will know that there is a small walk through the forest to reach the falls, and on the way, there is a small restaurant cum teashop in a hut run by two brothers. It is a beautiful place, idyllic surroundings overlooking the serene backwaters of the Kodsalli dam. The scenery was a million dollars to the eye, and having ordered tea etc, we walked down to the water front to take in the sun set over the backwaters. We came across what looked like pug marks, none of us were very sure initially, but very soon, it became clear that a big cat had passed by that very area where we were all standing !!! This is the closest I have been to a big cat in the wild (that i know of).




It was an absolutely amazing feeling...excitement, uncertainty, a tinge of fear...it was mixed emotions...and as it was dusk, getting dark rapidly...the fear started dominating ! We went back to the hut and had piping hot tea, we casually asked the hotel owner if the pug mark indeed belonged to a big cat. He told us it was a black panther which had passed by the previous night. The brothers had two dogs, and the panther had made off with one earlier, it was now coming back for the other. He calmly told us that it was not a big deal and the dog was safe as they would lock it in the hut along with them. Imagine sitting in a flimsy hut in a forest with a dog which the big cat is stalking !!! Imagine a new moon night and the panther walking around making low growling sounds....It was too much to imagine...we all scooted from the place, having thrown out any ideas some had of staying back to spend the night in the beautiful cottage like hut near the backwaters !!!

Well, this had made me very impatient to get my hands on Jim Corbett's writings. And last saturday, I went on a book buying spree visited the Strand book sale and Landmark where I picked up the Jim Corbett Omnibus. For anyone who loves nature, is curious about the big cats, Jim Corbett is a must read. I remember reading 'The Man eater of Rudraprayag', a gripping/chilling story narrated as only Jim Corbett can narrate when I was in school.
So far, in 2 days, I have read a third of the fairly bulky book. The Champawat man eater (450 victims),Chowgarh tigers (64+), Bachelor of Powalgarh, Mohan Man eater, Kanda man eater, Pipal Pani tiger and Thak man eater(this used to openly terrorize nearly a thousand labourers who were working in the hills, used to come out in the open and growl at them)...each of the narrations are simply amazing, if you get engrossed in it as much as I did, the story simply sucks you in, and you can nearly experience it...it is very very scary. I have heard of shikaris being unparalleled in their knowledge of nature, the local flora and fauna, survival techniques, mimicry etc...after reading these stories, I have begun to appreciate the skills these people have. I have been asking a friend of mine who happens to know some shikaris if we could accompany them in the night when they enter the forest...he said that they would never allow that, because if something untoward were to happen, they would be perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, while we would be left in the lurch. Now I totally appreciate the response, which I earlier did'nt understand.

The point of the whole blog is, to get you to pick up a copy of the Jim Corbett omnibus (Rs 550, Penguin) in case you already dont have it. It is a must read. It has a lot of subtle and some not so subtle lessons on how to conduct oneself in a forest. Some tips given by the author that shikaris use go on to show how keen their senses are, their observational skills are. The best thing I remember is the way the shikaris use the wind when they track big cats; on the surface of it, the battle seems heavily one sided, the tiger, the ultimate stealth creature, ideally adapted to life in the forest with unmatched strength and valor against a human with a gun/camera...its no match ! Apparently, it is the wind that evens up the contest to whatever extent possible. Tigers treat humans as animals and are hence extremely wary of giving away their presence by their smell, they dont realize that humans cant smell !!! Hence they always, always approach against the wind as they would approach any prey ! Is'nt it amazing ? There are many many more such amazing bits of info...they might not be of use to us directly...but it points out what it takes to survive in the jungle...how keen one's senses must be etc.

One more thing to show how gripping the book is, here I am, 3am in the morning of a weekday, reading the book...

The flip side of reading the book is, I'll admit, am a bit chicken to go on the next trek and pitch tent in the middle of the forest !!! We are supposed to go to Bandaje falls (blog will follow) in Jan 1st week...