JCNP is the most celebrated of the Tiger Reserves in India but we failed to see the celebrity cat… all we managed were a few pugmarks and the warning calls of the barking deer- rubbing it in, that we missed yet another close encounter.
But the beauty of the jungle & the numerous other species (birds,deers,elephants,reptiles etc) more than makes up for the elusive Tiger. If you ever go there make sure to have your reservation at Dhikala camp. Dhikala is situated on the banks of RamGanga river. The other side is an open ground about 1 km wide which provides good view of the animals coming to quench their thirst.
The park is really well maintained & the camps have good facilities, but what I was unimpressed with was the lack of knowledge about how the tiger census is done. I asked quite a few officials as to how do they get to the exact count of tigers- & i was told it was done through pugmarks. Apparently their pugmarks are as unique as our fingerprints !- I personally dont buy that 🙂
But anyways my doubt was- that howd the officials know that a tiger has died- coz they wouldnt see the pugmarks or the tiger & would assume that the cat is in hiding. I fear its this logic through which they claim that there are 400 tigers @ Corbett! If there were even half as many- we would have surely seen one.
Once inside the park you are not allowed to venture out of the camp between 11am & 4pm- coz thats the time the jungle gets back to normal after all the jeep & elephant safaris.If you have the interest you can get yourself parked at the machan for these 5 hrs- but make sure you take enough water & food with you.
I only wish there was a way to volunteer as a Forest guard for a month…
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