As Matters Stand!

The article gives the readers a rundown on the state and affairs of the Corbett Reserve, by pointing out the problems that need to be addressed.

- HARENDRA BARGALI,

Sharmili, a tigress who had successfully raised her S previous litter of four cubs, was unmindful of nearly 25 Gypsies following her on the road for nearly three kilometres in the Bijrani Range of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. This was on the evening of 30th March 2016. Although her behaviour was calm and dignified, the conduct of the tourists was rude and noisy, for the sake of a close-up of the tigress. Sharmili, possibly habituated to this unruly behaviour, went off the road to a fallen tree trunk, smelt and sprayed on it and went into a patch of grass in the nearby dry river bed. Soon, she emerged out of the grass and sat with the breeze on her face, watched a small group of chital at a distance of nearly 100 metres and then disappeared into a much larger patch of grass.

Spring in the Corbett landscape had not received its usual hailstorms, so the increasing daytime temperature clearly indicated that summer was aggressively on its way. Nevertheless, the ripe and falling leaves of the sal Shorea robusta were golden in colour, Indian cedar Toona ciliata and jamun Syzygium cumini and mango Mangifera indica trees had a pleasing green canopy, the ripe leaves of Wild guava Careya arborea and Syzygium operculatum (Rai jamun) were red in colour, and kusum Schleichera oleosa displayed varied colours, and its bright red young leaves seen against the backdrop of blue sky was a sight to behold. In most places the fragrance of the curry tree Murraya koenigii permeated the air. As it was the peak courting period, red jungle cocks wooed the females unmindful of the vehicles.