Corbett Tiger Reserve - Rare viewing of elephants

The Corbett Tiger Reserve in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, is one of the best places to see Indian wildlife in one of the finest natural settings.

The Park authorities in recent years have imposed restrictions on entry of private vehicles and have limited even safari vehicles registered with the Park authrities to about 25 or 30 every morning and afternoon at each of the four or five entry gates now functional. Further, entry permits may only be obtained "On-line" on the Tiger Reserve web-site on payment of the necessaey charges. Looking for a tiger at Corbett is more like searching for a needle in a hay-stack - it is largely a matter of luck, although having an experienced guide and safari driver certainly helps. Our trip to Corbett yeilded two tigers - but only just, as one was at some distance in some thickets and the other disappeared quickly in the grassland. Our luck with the other big game at Corbett, the elephant, held and we saw a magnificent male elephant with heavy tusks leading the way for our safari jeep for over a kilometre.

The next afternoon, we had a rare viewing of about twenty-five elephants in another area of Corbett - such large groups are not be frequently seen. They frolicked in a large water-hole with the baby elephants nearly submerging themselves in the water, the others spraying water over themselves and all having a good time - much like children at a sea-side!

Needless to say, one does not come by such sights every day and we enjoyed taking pictures of these elephants almost as much they enjoyed themselves in the water in the heat of the afternoon!