A deep conversation with a Scorpion

Dear Jungle Lovers, Welcome back. I am going to speak about a conversation I had with a Big-Black Scorpion several years back.

Let me keep my liberty to call him Mr. Scorpion.

In the year 1997, I  was a student at Hyderabad Central University. In his introductory speech, our registrar had asked us to view the wild elements in the campus as respectable as gentlemen/ladies and treat them with due references (That's why Mr.Scor.).

It was almost 7 months past after that speech, I realized that Scorpions especially are more respectable than others in that huge campus. The campus was otherwise home to wild boars, deer and numerous sober snakes (not due to the wide presence of pea-fowls and Indian Grey Mongoose...they were indeed sober). The scorpions were so much used to come in front of us anywhere and anytime that they did command more respect as a species than the others...

Mr. Scorpion

 Well... I think I was not feeling very well that day... I was out on a walk toward the peacock lake and midway I was approached by Mr. Scorpion. Before even I could take my hat off and say good evening to him (Please don't ask me how I figured that out ) I guess he thought it was too late and I was not in the mood of greeting him...So he rose his tail straight and with the vengeance of a cougar he came straight to teach me some manners. I said sorry...very sorry...very very sorry...I apologize for my indisputably insolent attitude...but it was too late for everything...the attack seemed non-stoppable...I thought for a moment and an idea just struck me..."Oh, how about that?" I just remembered my grandfather...when I was a kid he emphatically told me that if a man uses his brain he is the most powerful even when he is in the most disadvantaged circumstances...that's it...I will not run away and I will use my brain...

Here is what I did. I pointed my finger at him in a way that he would think its easy to dunk me down by stinging the finger. I let him forget that I have a perfectly big body which can be targeted more conveniently otherwise. When he ran for my finger, I humbly begged for an apology and I started circling my finger around him. He ran for it in rounds and rounds to get my finger...I remember I told him once..."Sir, I am sorry for what I have done. But you can just cool off and let it go."...to no avail.
After circling in bigger circles, I now reduced my finger circling to smaller circles and even smaller but rapider. After facing huge heart beat to compete with the speed and blown completely off by the pressure to handle his anger...and exactly after 5 minutes and 38 seconds...I found Mr. Scorpion stuck at one place...with the tail straight erect ...I waited...no movements...45 seconds past no movement...I tapped my feet... no movements...well...I guess he is thinking....I thought its time for me to go...
I put my hat back on my head and walked off.

I returned after spending a good four hours in the lake and other rocky structures. I was not expecting Mr. Scorpion there. I took my hat off to say hi to him...still no response...I tapped my feet...clapped my hands...whistled...blew air from the mouth...still no movement...I was very sad...
Later, I came to a conclusion that his brain might have fused in the heavy tension and pressure he had to under go for a whole five minutes and thirty eight seconds...
I apologized again...said sorry again...I dragged my feet toward my next destination ...

That was my deepest conversation with Mr. Scorpion...

Talk to you later...

Robin with a Leopard

Welcome back. Most of us as human beings, nature lovers, hunters and avid fishermen love the company of our dogs. Dogs, on the other hand, act as pure human when it comes to enjoying the nature and going with the spirit of excitement in hooking a fish and reeling it to the shore...they also love to express their sportive growl on the all--fisherman- lies...the one that got away was the big one. Sometimes I think, a fisherman who does not brag about his catch and does not lie about the fish that broke the line ...ain't much of a fisherman at all. Our dear canine companions seem to put up well with that...
Let's talk about Robin now. He was a little Spaniel puppy when Corbett got him home and fed him full stomach for the first time in Robin's life (Please don't ask me how Corbett figured that out, let's leave that for nut-heads.). But from that time till the end of his life Robin was his most loved companion whenever he went fishing or hunting. The most memorable incident with Robin that Corbett could recall about Robin was his encounter with a leopard. Traditionally, dogs are a leopard's most favorite kill. Almost every dog knows that with its instinct. But Robin had seen and experienced a lot of Corbett and had less fear for any other animal. And it was a day of awakening for him.

It was a good morning and Corbett was out in the forest trying to track a tiger down. The cattle population was taking a heavy toll due to the tiger and Corbett wanted that stripped sucker real bad. Robin was leading the hunt by sniffing and tracking the tiger while a bunch of Langoors (Black-faced Indian Monkeys) crossed the track. I don't know what is really wrong with dogs as a species, but whenever they see monkeys they chase after them like mad men.  Before even any body else could do anything about it (and simply disregarding Corbett's signals) Robin dashed out chasing those monkeys. Well, it was not Robin's day that particular day. The next second, Corbett saw him his ears down, tail down running for his life... and behind him...a big o' leopard. Corbett started shouting and some other passerby people also joined him in the shout to distract or scare the leopard off. Since the tiger was assumed to be nearby Corbett did not want to use a bullet from his rifle for the leopard unless the shot was absolutely necessary since it would  have warned the tiger. After a quite good chase and with all the hauling of the people the leopard decided to give up and left the chase. And Robin returned to Corbett after running for another half a mile. It was a really good lesson for Robin which he never forgot in his life. And Corbett came to an agreement with Robin not to disclose the whole thing for a long time.

When I was growing up as a kid and used to go on fishing trips we always cared to have our dogs with us and they were such a big part of our trip. And even at this date the memory of that excitement has never come any close to even not remembering it. I am sure all of you will agree with what I really mean to say. When we used to catch a big fish our dogs were the most excited ones, whirling around the fish and nipping at it and growling to let everyone know what a big success we have had in our day's trip. Most of the time we forgot that they were not human...but felt almost as if they were...
Lots to share about our dear canines ...will come back on this later.

Welcome to Corbett's World

Dear Friends,
I am creating this blog to serve as a vibrant discussion platform and information hub for all the Jungle lovers and conservationists. Particularly, I hope, people who have loved Jim Corbett, his life and his literature would find this blog very passionate about the great hunter and humanist. I was in in the first year of my junior high when I got introduced to Corbett's world.
I still remember the day, in fact. I was getting home after a crazy day at school and I was enjoying a stop-over at my uncle's place to have a chat with my cousin, Pinku Bhai. I saw him a bit engrossed with a book that had a big picture of a tiger on its cover. As a child, and I believe that is true about all children around the world, I had great fascination about the tiger. I was almost about to rip the book off his hand, he decided to hand in the book to me to have a look. But he was careful enough to put a remark,"I think you are going to fall in love with the book." And he was abso-damn-lutely right. I sat at his place for the next four hours and read around two hundred pages of the ""Man-eaters of Kumaon" before my mom showed up to get me home. Twenty two years have passed since that day and I am still no less passionate about Corbett and his legacy.
And I am here to share and learn, have fun and have a great time talking about everything that is related to Corbett's world and his jungle lore and his tiger (which zoologists have named Panthera Tigris Corbettee). I invite every one with a very warm and open heart ...  please share your views and information about JimCorbett, Corbett National Park and anything related to him. I hope every one will make an effort to enrich this forum with their experience.
All the best to us...Corbett's fans.