Hotel Safari Park, Corbett

This is the lair of the majestic beast, the Big Cat, the stately tiger. Breathe in the smell of the forest, revel in the resounding silence as the dirt track undulates and your jeep bobs. Although any tiger sighting must be considered only an added bonus – visit Corbett for the sheer thrill of being inside a real, live forest.But all is not well in India’s premier tiger and wildlife reserve. While the official count of tigers remains 143, the actual count is rumoured to be as less as 50. In January 2001, poachers had killed eight wild elephants in the park. Poaching of deer and other such animals is common in the reserve too. In 2006, poachers shot a male tiger point blank in the eye. In August 2006, there were reports of 11 tiger skins being smuggled to China.Efforts are being made by the Forestry department and organisations such as Save the Tiger Fund, but they face difficulties as poachers are usually aided by locals looking to make a quick buck. Which is a shame because the reserve remains one of the richest wildlife sanctuaries in India. Spread over an area of 1288 sq. km, the reserve is divided into three zones – outer, tourist and core. Only 25% of the reserve is open to public, the rest remains out of bounds, safeguarding the natural habitat. Animals commonly sighted include barking deer, Stork beak kingfisher, wild elephants, wild boar, serpent eagles, leopards and so on. Corbett also has over 600 species of birds and 110 varieties of trees. While inside, keep in mind that it is not allowed to step out of your jeep. There are four entry gates into the forest, Amdanda on the way to the Bijrani Camp being the closest. The Dhangarhi gate leads you to Dhikala, what the locals call ‘real Corbett’. The safari through Bijrani lasts for over an hour and a half. However, if you choose to roam the Dhikala area it is compulsory to stay the night within the reserve at a Forest Rest House (roam, of course, in a jeep or atop an elephant, after obtaining permits and with a trained guide only). Abundant with savannah grasslands, it is here that the park is the wildest and tiger spotting the most common.Named after the famous hunter turned conservationist Jim Corbett, a trip to Corbett makes an ideal weekend getaway from Delhi. Carry binoculars and your luckiest charm – that tiger might not elude you after all.

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