Mrs Shere Khan and Colonel Hathi

Up at 5 for a quick wipe down and a cup of tea flavoured with ginger and honey. At five thirty prompt we board a gypsy outside the front door. A gypsy is a jeep with a raised open rear seating platform that is used hereabouts for safaris. It is quite cool here before dawn and sitting on one of these things as it is being driven makes it even chillier. Ramesh takes the co-pilots seat and we drive for about 15 minutes through Ramnagar to one of the Jim Corbett National Park gates where a few other gypsies carrying tourists are congregating. Ramesh takes our passports into the small office building as we have to be registered.  When he returns he introduces our guide for the morning whose name we utterly fail to catch. There is a bit of a hiatus and then the gate is opened shortly after 6 am.

Some of the gypsies race off at high speed while we take it more steadily.  The guide explains that for 8km we will drive through a periferal zone until entering the park proper where there is a network of vehicle tracks. Only 15 vehicles are allowed in at any one gate for a session (6 to 9.30 and 2.30 to 6) which explains the need to get there early. The track is quite rough and crosses a few riverbeds that are not much more than streams presently but which become raging torrents in the monsoon. The park closes in June until October or November as it is not possible to get around. Every visiting party must have a guide and hiking is not permitted. At the end of the 8km there is an inner gate where there are loos and a further document check. 

Once in the park proper we start to see spotted deer, a regular tiger lunch. Our guide points out tiger footprints on the track and fresh elephant dung. We see a large bird in a tall dead tree which is identified as a Changeable Hawk Eagle though there is no explanation as to what the changes are. Later we check the bird book which has no explanation either. There are lots more deer, a few monkeys, but no tiger. We try a different area, higher up and see quite a few interesting birds. Some we cannot identify but get photos to check against the bird book later. Still no tiger so we head back to the lower level where we meet one of the other gypsies whose occupants had seen a tiger not too far away. We head there watch for a while but see nothing. 

Our driver breaks out breakfast - hard boiled eggs, bread and jam and a flask of the tea with honey and ginger. We are just finishing off when there is a plaintive shriek from quite nearby. The guide identifies it as the alarm call of the spotted deer which has probably detected a tiger on the move. We get mobile PDQ and head back along the track. The guide  tells the driver to stop and points. A magnificent beast pads silently out of the forest, across the track and back into cover. It was no more than ten metres away and absolutely breathtaking. It is identified as a female. As if by magic other gypsies converge on the spot, some in time to see the big cat, while others have to make do with looking at photos.

We are thrilled and it is a cheerful trip back to base. R spots a large bird on a distant tree and when we get closer we see that it is a red headed vulture. There is the inevitable documentation as we leave the park and then we head back to Ramesh's Swallow Nest homestay. India Mike forum members might be interested to know that the Swallow Nest is named in honour of the late Fugly, who helped Ramesh to work up his business idea of putting together complete packages for visitors wishing to visit Corbett. The house has been specially built with 3 pleasant en-suite guest rooms, a central dining hall and an open kitchen.

We are invited to sit at a table on the roof and stay there until it gets too warm. Our co-residents have not been as lucky as us but have enjoyed their morning.

At lunch we are joined by an older Indian couple who have just arrived. It is soon time for the day's second safari and we are teamed with a different guide, Mukesh, who has excellent English. Entrance formalities complete we head back along the 8km track and before long spot a jackal ahead of us. It cuts off into the undergrowth but Mukesh correctly predicts where it will reappear thus allowing photos to be taken. Turning off the route taken by most of the gypsies we suddenly hear crashing in the undergrowth.  Through the trees we see one young elephant and at least two adults. Our guide quickly directs the driver to move us on to safe distance away from where we watch to see what happens.  The young one appears on the track for a while and then back into the vegetation. There are a lot more crashing noises, getting nearer, and we retreat further up the track. Further back in the forest we see quite a large tree being rocked violently. "Oh my god" says Mukesh. An adult male elephant steps out into full view and we move again to get a safe distance away. After a while a couple of gypsies come up behind the tusker. He seems to spend time considering what to do before retiring and leaving the track clear.

We set off again in search of tigers and do a large circuit crossing the dried up river a couple of times. Eventually we come back round to a T junction near where the elephant had been. By now a few other gypsies are following us as we turn down a side track. Rounding a corner we find a gypsy jam in front of us, with some trying to turn round and others reversing. Beyond them the same elephant is advancing up the track. All around us are shouts of "Hathi! Hathi" Some of the gypsy passengers seem to be rather alarmed and shout at us to get out of the way, easier said than done, as there are half a dozen more gypsies behind us. There follows twenty minutes or so of absolute slapstick as the elephant herds us all  back up the track. Eventually he gets bored and disappears into the bushes, allowing the tiger hunt to resume.

We try a few places and D spots a large elephant just off the track. His tusks are much bigger than the herder's but he won't stand still for a photo.  A little further on there is another blockage as three elephants have a stand off with more gypsies.   Two of the pachiderms step off the road but the third moves forward quite aggressively.  It is our old friend again. During the mating season adult males secrete a kind of musk oil and we can clearly smell this. Very reminiscent of Edinburgh zoo. Again discretion is the better part of valour but this time he soon tires and leaves the way open for us. Mukesh says that we will have one last try for a tiger.

As we head along a track another gypsy comes speeding the other way. Their guide shouts something and we quickly turn around and set off in pursuit. There are gypsies ahead and everyone is on their feet watching. A female tiger, maybe the same one is approaching along the track. She turns off into the vegetation and the gypsies are shuffled forward. The tiger moves stealthily through the dead long grass, its stripes providing superb camouflage. Beyond it a solitary spotted deer is grazing. The tiger pounces, an alarm call goes up. Too late.  Mrs Shere Khan has her supper. All that is missing is a breathless commentary by David Attenborough.  Wow!

A shout goes up from the guides. "Chalo! Jildi!"*. Everybody has to hurry to be out of the inner gate by the deadline. We get back to the Sparrow Nest just as it is getting dark and are introduced to Ramesh's three children who are doing their homework.  The Londoners have seen loads of elephants but again drawn a blank with tigers. They are philosophical, saying that it gives them a reason to come back. We enjoy supper, even the paneer in sauce. Then it's time for bed, another 5 a.m. start tomorrow. 

* Let's go. Hurry up.