Hello! I have uploaded the pictures of one of the biggest herds of wild elephants, which I had clicked on my last visit to Jhirna before it was closed for the first time in the history (around 18th June) after heavy rains and the sheer panic consequential to disaster in Kedarnath, Badrinath, Rambana, etc. and other higher reaches of Garhwal and parts of Kumaon.
The Ranger’s Lodge is located on the southern wild periphery of Corbett and this part of Corbett has supported the highest density of tigers. Please recall 2006-07 census when corbett had produced 19.5 tigers per 100 sq.km. I am not trying to concentrate on tigers but being at the top, the sheer number of them decide the well being, quality and quantity of other creatures too.
The Ranger’s Lodge has been promoting wildlife itineraries including walking safaris, jeep & elephant safaris, birding trails, village walks, night stays in FRH’s and so on. The Jhirna tourism zone gate is just 20min drive from the Lodge and provides contiguity of forests all along from the Lodge.
Jhirna tourism zone was declared open for the wildlife tourists about 25years back after relocating 3 villages viz. Jhirna, Kothirao & Dhara. Laldhang village, just before Jhirna gate, is in the process of being shifted soon and already huge grasslands have been developed in the vicinity. Consequentially, the wild elephants have become more or less resident on the southern periphery.
Jhirna, Dhela, Phanto and the surrounding beats are one of the driest areas of corbett and are fed by seasonal streams of Dhela, Pheeka and other streams. Since 1974, neither harvesting nor replanting has been promoted in the commercial forests of Eucalyptus and Teak. The natural root stock has developed into secondary and tertiary forests in combination with old growth of teak and eucalyptus. Jhirna on the other hand has started recovering from the onslaught of biotic factors inducing excellent growth of Sal, tendu, Semal, Khair, karanj and other associated species of dry deciduous and moist deciduous forests (If anyone is interested in english or scientific names of the trees then please do contact me).
All the above factors have contributed to excellent opportunities of birding such as Great & Pied hornbills, Blue-tailed & Blue-bearded bea-eaters, Indian Pitta, paradise flycatcher, Cukoos (atleast 04 species of them), Verditer flycatcher, Changeable Hawk Eagle, peregrine falcon, maroon and black-hooded orioles and plenty more. This is the only area where one sees Nilgai and there have been umpteenth sloth bear sightings besides regular sightings of wild boar, jackals, yellow-throated martens, large grey mongoose, etc. Tigers and wild elephants are pretty regular and believe you me, in the last 16 walking safaris by me, there have been four tiger sightings in a span of more than a month. The wild Elephants are pretty regular in Jhirna. The most interesting aspect is the presence of the biggest wetland around corbett landscape, which is just 30min drive all along the Corbett landscape forests from the Lodge on the south-western side. The wetland promises great crested Grebe from tibet, greater flamingo & sarus crane extend their distribution limits besides brown headed gulls, black-bellied & river terns, pheasant-tailed & bronze-winged jacanas, common & purple moorhen, regular bar-headed geese, spot-billed ducks, pin-tails, garganey, ruddy shelduck, Cinnamon bittern, and numerous other waders and ducks.
I might have missed many other positives here but let me promise you that this will all provide the best wilderness experience in a situation where corbett is the victim of too many! I have always looked for positioning The Ranger’s Lodge as the one independent of commercial corbett.
To top it all, the above is still not at all crowded unlike Corbett as the destination. We believe in craving for the tiger and exploring the jungle. Let me frame a perfect itinerary for you, valid from 01st September to 15th October:
Day 1: Arrival The Ranger’s Lodge by lunch. Post lunch, a walking safari and then all the accessories including a slide show on the wealth of corbett, anecdotes on my encounters with wilderness,etc. and all by the bonfire.
Day 2: Half day jhirna in the AM, Breakfast and then PM elephant safari across river Kosi on the eastern periphery
Day 3: AM Tumarhiya and glimpses of Gujjar architecture. Spend time with the gujjars at their Deras and learn their intricate yet simple lifestyles. PM Jhirna/Phanto jeep safari. One can also stay at Jhirna FRH
Day 4: AM walking safari from The Ranger’s Lodge and post breakfast you may leave after the complete rejuvenation.
Those interested in local flavours from the local village market as well as interaction with the village school kids will also have enough time during this 03 nights & 04 days itinerary. Landscape photography, a trail to Jim Corbett’s village and so on may also be squeezed in.
If you see the above photographs in sequence then you will be thrilled to know that the loner tusker first came to the road and then slipped back after seeing our gypsy to reappear after 5min with the group of grannies, mothers and calves, some of them were just few months older, and he kept a constant vigil by giving mock charges till the entire group had passed by and entered into the forests across the road. Then he ran charging towards us with a great speed. It took me few minutes to turn the vehicle to the opposite direction. He started walking parallel to the Gyspsy showing his disapproval to our presence occasionally and finally joined the herd in the vicinity. This had all happened on the Kothirau Machaan road after you take the right from the first water stream or “Pehla Pani in Jhirna”.
Overall speaking it was great sighting and I was able to click sizable number of pics and here are the best 42 for all of you!
Thanks and Regards Imran Khan
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