The sheer uncertainty of spotting the big cat makes it a thrilling experience at the Corbett National Park. The Corbett Tiger Reserve, with a density of one tiger per 200 square kilometers, is home to one tiger in every eight spread over the country. While the chances of spotting a tiger are the brightest here, yet it remains onto the Lord of the Jungle to oblige. Thus, we set off for Corbett full of hope – of sighting the tiger in its natural environ. If there are two hundred tigers in this jungle, one could be waiting for us!

We had our booking done at the Club Mahindra, Corbett. The trip to the destination was by and large comfortable. The new Sunny Nissan that I had bought in February last had hardly ventured out. In fact it was our first long journey on it, about 250 kilometers from our place at Ghaziabad. Barring a few kilometers, we met with good roads. Moreover, the excitement kept us moving. We had set 7am in the morning for departure, but with my wife and two daughters as co-travelers, the schedule was hard to keep. So, we had our timely breakfast at home before we drove out. On way we stopped at Bikarnerwala in Gajraula for lunch, whereas our plan was to have breakfast there.

It was not before evening that we could reach our resort. Taking heed to the advice from Tripadvisor, I had called the resort well in advance to reserve the river facing room for me and was given the room of my choice. This made our trip all the more wonderful. We had many friends from the jungle to keep us enthralled and entertained. The monkeys played across the river; the birds flocked around the place; and the peacocks danced at our door. We could feel the nature all around us. But then, we had come here for the tigers!

To increase our chances of locating the Lord of Jungle, I had made not one, but two bookings for the Safari. We were to take the first one the next evening in Dhikala and yet another the very next day in the morning in Bijrani. I had made the first booking directly with the Corbett Tiger Reserve through their website. The second booking was confirmed through a tour operator, GTI Travels that specializes in Jungle Safari.

Since our safari was in the afternoon, we could afford a leisurely breakfast. We had to go to Ramnagar, about 10 kilometers from our resort to board the Canter. If you are not staying at the Dhikala or Gairal Forest Lodge at night, safari by Canter is the only option in the Dhikala Tourist Zone. Two Canters leave for the forest two times a day with each accommodating as many as 16 persons. The unfortunate part of this Safari is that the Canter follows a fixed path to take you around the forest. So if you are really lucky, the tiger may come on your way for you to spot it.

With throbbing hearts, we took our seats on the Canter. Four persons can sit in each row, so we had a row exclusively for ourselves. After departing from Ramnagar, the Canter stopped at the Dhagarhi Gate for verification of the permits. A few tourists boarded the Canter from here too. This would have been a shorter distance for us too, but it was good that we had gone to Ramnagar to take the Canter as we could have the preferred seats. Once our permits were verified, we set out inside the jungle. The road from Dhangarhi to Dhikala runs along the River Ramganga. It is said that if the Ramganga was not here, there would have been no Corbett. In fact, this Forest Reserve was once called Ramganga National Park before being christened Jim Corbett National Park after the legendary hunter.

This oldest National Park in India was established way back in 1936 as the Hailey National Park with the view to protect the endangered Bengal Tiger. This deciduous forest is a natural habitat of wild animals and nothing is prearranged here – you may or may not sight an animal! Thankfully, out of the four types of antelopes found here, we came across three – the spotted deer, which is the most common; the barking deer, which belongs to the oldest species of deer; and the sambar deer, the largest of them all. We failed to spot the fourth class of deer that of hog deer. In fact, spotting a hog deer is difficult as it ducks under obstacles to cover itself instead of leaping over it like most other deer. Well, to have missed the hog deer may not have been as unfortunate if and only if we could spot the big cat. On this afternoon trail, we spotted some more animals like the wild boar, and some species of monkeys, but the tiger eluded our sight.

We stopped at the Dhikala Tourist Complex for some refreshment. The old forest rest house here is a historic structure, having been built over a hundred years ago by the British. On reaching this site, we could feel that to live outside the jungle was an unwise decision. The accommodation at the Forest Lodge here may not be a luxury, but it is indeed a true jungle experience. In all there are thirty-two double-bed rooms at the Dhikala Tourist Complex, all with attached latrine/bath. It also has two dormitories that can accommodate twenty-four more persons. The Tourist Complex overlooks Dhikala Chaur (grassland) and Phulai Chaur. It is built on the banks of River Ramganga and the adjacent dam reservoir complements its picturesque settings. The complex is well protected by electric barbed fence.

Though the tiger remain the most celebrated wild animal, leopard is another large cat found here. Elephants, jackals, gorals are also part its fauna. The River Ramganga, the most prominent hydrological resource in this area, is home to lovely otters and ferocious ghariyals. We were told that there are almost hundred gharials in the Ramganga, but we saw none.

We came back to the resort somewhat disheartened, but still a candle of hope of kept burning within us. So, we were all ready to leave when the driver came up early in the morning with the jeep. Only jeeps with petrol engines are allowed in the various tourist zones of Corbett Tiger Reserve. We were to go to Bijrani Tourist Zone this morning. While Dhikala is more in the dense, Bijrani too is as interesting. Moreover, we were told that a tigress is being located in this area together with her cubs. Thus, we set out with our fingers crossed.

At the Amadanda Gate we were met by our forest guide Bisht. Booking this tour with a safari company had its advantage as we did not have to look for forest guide ourselves. Bisht proved to be an experienced guide. He told us that this famous tiger reserve was established in 1936 as India’s first national park. In comparison to Dhikala, the terrain at Bijrani is much drier and also has more diverse vegetation with the Sal trees comprising most of its flora. It is indeed a tall and handsome tree with majestic, shining foliage. Even while our guide was talking to us, his mind was focused on the tiger trail. He suddenly asked the driver to stop and stooping low, he asked us to look beneath.

There were a few pug marks on the ground. But, frankly speaking, I was not impressed. There is a general impression among the safari tourists that the tour operators or their agents put these marks themselves just to keep the excitement burning. I even told this to him. He merely smiled and said, “Who will have this kind of patience and courage to take time out and put such marks in the middle of jungle?” I did not refute him, but did not believe him either. We went on, but to my amazement the trail of pug marks could still be seen. The jeep must have gone more than a kilometer, and the pug marks could be traced all along its path. Unmistakably, the tiger had been here. This excited the children. Now, I asked the driver to stop and stooping low I clicked some photographs of the pug marks.

“Is it a tiger or a tigress?” I asked the guide.

“Well, it is of a tigress.”

Encouraged by my query he showed us some more pug marks, which he identified as that of the cub. So, the tigress had treaded on this path together with her kid!

The guide then halted the jeep to show us some Langurs and Chitals. What an anticlimax! But then, he told us something interesting. The Chitals or the spotted deer like to keep company of monkeys, especially langurs, since they both share an association of asymmetrical mutualism – a relationship in which both gain from each-other and none is harmed. Chital often gather underneath the monkeys so that they can opportunistically take advantage of the vegetation dropped by the latter. However, there is a more remarkable aspect of this partnership. The two also respond to each-other’s alarm behavior. The Langur’s superior eyesight and ability to sit atop high trees allows it to spot predators easily. Therefore, it notifies the deer, when a predator is approaching. In turn, the Chital’s excellent smelling power empowers it to detect predators on the ground and warn the Langur.

He would have gone on and on, but suddenly he asked the driver to drive back and signaled us to be quite. He had perhaps heard some ‘call’. We were excited again. Contrary to our Canter Trip the previous day, this was getting more and more exciting. We had the liberty to plan and choose our own route. Now, we were going back on the same path that we had taken earlier. The chances of finding the tiger had not vanished after all. We could feel the big cat around us, even if we did not see it. We all at once became grim with a sense of urgency. Our eye became vigilant even as our hearts pounded with exhilaration. We all wanted to be the first to spot the tiger.

It was again the vigilant eyes of our guide to have spotted something. He asked the driver to stop and then move backward.

“Did you see that?” he asked.

“What?” we all screamed quietly.

Pointing at something he said, “Someone seems to have dropped a mobile.”

Oh, not an anticlimax again, I said to myself.

He stooped and picked up the device without getting off from the jeep. It was indeed a mobile handset of Samsung make, similar to the one that I had.

“Did you drop your mobile?” my wife asked me jokingly as the children smiled at me. Obviously I had not heard any ringtone since we had entered the jungle. I had kept the phone in my jersey pocket and forgotten it. I stroked my pocket with some callousness and then suddenly a sense of urgency transcended my being – the mobile handset was not there! I hurriedly searched my other pockets; no, the mobile phone was not with me.

“Just check if the phone has some temple as its wallpaper?” I asked the guide.

He checked and extended the device towards me with a grin – yes, it had the photo of the temple – the Sun Temple that I have on my mobile.

We did not come across the tiger. On our way to the exit I pondered, “Are not the chances of spotting the tiger brighter than that of finding the mobile?”

I am sure there would be many-many people to have found the big cat in this jungle, but who would have ever found his lost mobile here! Lucky me!!