The Unseen Story of Corbett National Park

[Global Tourism India]

Jim Corbett National Park might be not a new topic for you as there are so many blogs, news, article online today. One can very easily get the news update and tourist information very easily, one just need to google but in this edition GTI Travels going to present you some unknown or comparatively less heighted story. We already know that the Jim Corbett National Park is one of the oldest virgin forest of India and the park was named ‘Jim Corbett’ to honor the great hunter of Britain; Edward James ‘Jim' Corbett who later became conservationist and play a vital role in the establishment of Corbett Park.

The legend hunter Edward James Corbett was born on 25 July 1875 in Nainital in the Kumaon of the Himalaya. He was eighth child of Willam Christopher and Mary Jane Corbett. His father William Christopher Corbett was the postmaster of Nainital town. Between 1907 to 1938 Jim Corbett tracked and shot 19 tigers and 14 leopards, all these are man eater and killed over 1200 people.

The famous tiger and leopard killed by Edward James Corbett:

The Champawat Tigress, who killed up to 436 before been killed by Jim Corbett in 1907. Tigers of Chowgarh, another name of horror in Kumaon Division of Uttarakhand killed by Jim Corbett Thak man-eater were a tigress of Eastern Kumaon division. The tigress killed only four human being but her story is wildlife famous as the last hunt of legendry hunter Jim Corbett before being conservationist and the author.

There is a village on the outskirts of Corbett National Park, Chhoti Haldwani (Kaladungi) where the legendry hunter gunned down. The bungalow of Corbett has been converted into a museum. All his personal items that he used when went after man-eaters like his caps, jackets, torches, walking sticks, medical kit and articles used during camping. All details of his hunting expeditions, rare pictures and letters are handle with care and available in Corbett museum.

However Mr. Jim Corbett was no longer with us, he was dead more than 50 years ago on 19 April 1955 in Nyeri, Kenya but the villagers of Kumaon division are still keeping the memories of the legend with care. For instance, the ‘chaupal' (meeting place), which was used by Jim Corbett for meeting with the villagers is still there and the gun that he used for hunting, gifted to his assistant Sher Singh Negi before leaving for Kenya, now a day that gun is with Trilok Singh Negi who is son so Sher Singh Negi, is a proud possession of the villagers and is displayed before visitors.