• Current Issue
  • Download Print Archives
  • SIGN IN
  • SUBSCRIBE
     

Down To Earth DownToEarth

  • News
  • In-depth
  • Videos
  • Book Store
  • Africa
  • Climate
  • Extreme Weather
  • Young Environmentalist

Tigers terai.ht

 
 

NEXT PHOTO ❯
Published: Friday 28 May 2010
Some symbolic references encountered on our  way to Corbett. The spirit of nationalism and conservation evoked in the same  breatheReport by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

Some symbolic references encountered on our way to Corbett. The spirit of nationalism and conservation evoked in the same breatheReport by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

Inside Corbett at seven in the morning, we  stood on tip-toes, strained every muscle in our body to spot the elusive  creature but alas…Five lakh tourists visit the park every year. The forest  facilities suffice for only 200 visitors, the rest are serviced by the 40 odd  private resorts which line the state highway in Dhilkuli, right outside the park  boundary Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

Inside Corbett at seven in the morning, we stood on tip-toes, strained every muscle in our body to spot the elusive creature but alas…Five lakh tourists visit the park every year. The forest facilities suffice for only 200 visitors, the rest are serviced by the 40 odd private resorts which line the state highway in Dhilkuli, right outside the park boundary Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

“I have got more than 50 tigers killed in my  life”, claims the 80-year-old Prem Bhallabh Chamwal. A former assistant to  British shikaris including Jim Corbett, he adds,“ We would track the tiger, tie  the bait, set the trap and do almost everything except pull the trigger”. The  initial ideas of protected reserves and conservation were fostered from a need  to provide for the hunting pleasures of the domestic royalty and the British  Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

“I have got more than 50 tigers killed in my life”, claims the 80-year-old Prem Bhallabh Chamwal. A former assistant to British shikaris including Jim Corbett, he adds,“ We would track the tiger, tie the bait, set the trap and do almost everything except pull the trigger”. The initial ideas of protected reserves and conservation were fostered from a need to provide for the hunting pleasures of the domestic royalty and the British Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

If you were to do a story on the tiger and failed to spot a  single specimen during the trip…this is probably how your desk would look like.  A rusty old typewriter, crumpled mess of paper and a framed picture of the beast  for inspirationReport by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta  Ahlawat

If you were to do a story on the tiger and failed to spot a single specimen during the trip…this is probably how your desk would look like. A rusty old typewriter, crumpled mess of paper and a framed picture of the beast for inspirationReport by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

12.A signboard on our way out of Corbett;  after paying “Rs 250 per head“ and not spotting a single stripe, this is not  what I want to read Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta  Ahlawat

12.A signboard on our way out of Corbett; after paying “Rs 250 per head“ and not spotting a single stripe, this is not what I want to read Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

The forest guard hardly fires the gun slung  on his shoulder. Procurement of arms and equipment is still an issue with the  forest department. A forest official confessed that the consignment of 100  cartridges, he had received from Lucknow would translate to 3 to 4 cartridges  per guard which on field amounts to nothing Report by : Ravleen Kaur  Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

The forest guard hardly fires the gun slung on his shoulder. Procurement of arms and equipment is still an issue with the forest department. A forest official confessed that the consignment of 100 cartridges, he had received from Lucknow would translate to 3 to 4 cartridges per guard which on field amounts to nothing Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

Crouching people and hidden tigers...Radhe Shyam Gangwal  explains how his neighbour, a basket weaver was attacked by the fugitive tiger  while he was collecting hay for the baskets. This spurred an army of wildlife  experts, forest officials and NGOs to rush here. “ I have never seen so many  people in the village”, says this 70-year-old resident of Saidpur, “now, the  village feels empty”.Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by:  Meeta Ahlawat

Crouching people and hidden tigers...Radhe Shyam Gangwal explains how his neighbour, a basket weaver was attacked by the fugitive tiger while he was collecting hay for the baskets. This spurred an army of wildlife experts, forest officials and NGOs to rush here. “ I have never seen so many people in the village”, says this 70-year-old resident of Saidpur, “now, the village feels empty”.Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

Anil Kumar Singh of Wildlife Trust of India  tests the camera trap to track the Kishanpur tiger. Camera traps identify the  tigers through their stripes, which are their unique fingerprints. But, the film  role has to be taken to Lakhimpur to take prints and a day is lost. In the  meantime, the tiger shifts its location. Pugmarks seem better suited for daily  monitoring than camera traps Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph  by: Meeta Ahlawat

Anil Kumar Singh of Wildlife Trust of India tests the camera trap to track the Kishanpur tiger. Camera traps identify the tigers through their stripes, which are their unique fingerprints. But, the film role has to be taken to Lakhimpur to take prints and a day is lost. In the meantime, the tiger shifts its location. Pugmarks seem better suited for daily monitoring than camera traps Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

He is Sita Prasad Shukla of Saitpur village. From him, I  learnt about a wonder woman, a tea shop owner who, after the tiger was spotted  in the area, sold many cups of tea and claimed that if the tiger had lived for  another two months, she would have made enough to marry her daughter off  Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

He is Sita Prasad Shukla of Saitpur village. From him, I learnt about a wonder woman, a tea shop owner who, after the tiger was spotted in the area, sold many cups of tea and claimed that if the tiger had lived for another two months, she would have made enough to marry her daughter off Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

Tracking the tiger demands a lot of patience  and silence, commodities in short supply with a reporter. Watching them at work,  I realised how easily the Forest department's efforts are belittled in reacting  to news reports on 'missing Tigers'. A half-eaten carcass of a wild boar,  killed the previous day by the tiger was found. Sticks were used to carefully  push it into the cage trap. The tiger would return to finish eating its kill but  any foreign scent on the carcass could ward it off Report by :  Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

Tracking the tiger demands a lot of patience and silence, commodities in short supply with a reporter. Watching them at work, I realised how easily the Forest department's efforts are belittled in reacting to news reports on 'missing Tigers'. A half-eaten carcass of a wild boar, killed the previous day by the tiger was found. Sticks were used to carefully push it into the cage trap. The tiger would return to finish eating its kill but any foreign scent on the carcass could ward it off Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

In the foreground, you see the kill that got the tigress  caught. The forest officials following its pugmarks had mistaken it for a male.  It was shot on February 24. But, was this the best course of action to take?  Since, except the first kill in Pilibhit, the tigress had never come to the  village to make a kill –the mark of man-eater Report by : Ravleen  Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

In the foreground, you see the kill that got the tigress caught. The forest officials following its pugmarks had mistaken it for a male. It was shot on February 24. But, was this the best course of action to take? Since, except the first kill in Pilibhit, the tigress had never come to the village to make a kill –the mark of man-eater Report by : Ravleen Kaur Photograph by: Meeta Ahlawat

Tigers Tigers Tiger Reserves News News News Residue Testing Honey Health Food Standards Food Standards Food Safety And … Food Safety And … Food Safety And … Drugs CSE Study
Subscribe to Daily Newsletter :
SUPPORT US

We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.

Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.

NEXT STORY

DownToEarth

Down To Earth is a product of our commitment to make changes in the way we manage our environment, protect health and secure livelihoods and economic security for all. We believe strongly that we can and must do things differently. Our aim is to bring you news, perspectives and knowledge to prepare you to change the world. We believe information is a powerful driver for the new tomorrow.

Quick Links
  • India
  • World
  • Climate Change
  • Food
  • Health
  • Water
  • Agriculture
Quick Links
  • News
  • In - Depth
  • DTE Blogs
  • Videos
  • Photo Gallery
  • Focus Tag
  • DTE Photo Library
  • Publications
Info
  • About Us
  • Author Directory
  • Blogger Directory
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Refunds & cancellations policy
Hindi
  • प्रदूषण
  • ऊर्जा
  • जल
  • जलवायु परिवर्तन
  • प्राकृतिक आपदा
  • कृषि
  • नदी
  • फूड
  • अर्थव्यवस्था
  • वन्य जीव एवं जैव विविधता
  • विकास
  • स्वच्छता
  • स्वास्थ्य
  • विज्ञान
  • मौसम
 
 

© Copyright Down To Earth 2023. All rights reserved.

×
Social: Young Environmentalist News In-depth Extreme Weather Videos Book Store Africa Climate Agriculture Gobar Times डाउन टू अर्थ Download Print Archives
Air Pollution Data Centre Blogs India World Coronavirus Environment Agriculture Water Food Natural Disasters Waste Energy Wildlife & Biodiversity Economy Science & Technology Forests Health Cartoons Book Reviews Interviews Honeygate