Flora and fauna Kumaon has, or rather had, a large variety of wildlife. As with other parts of the Himalayas, wildlife is gradually becoming extinct in the region. The areas around Nainital are the last known habitats of the elusive Himalayan Mountain Quail. It was last sighted over a hundred years ago. The bird has now vanished and it is very likely that it has become extinct. However, one occasionally hears of quail sightings from the local population and visitors to the region. The quail's natural habitat was the dense undergrowth on steep, wooded hillsides. It is unfortunate that it is precisely this middle altitude low scrub and brush region that has been exploited most by human development, which has led to many species of wildlife becoming endangered if not extinct.

Tigers at the Corbett National Park Credit: Discover India

Tigers and the Corbett Saga
Kumaon of course is also famous for its tigers, which have been known to roam about in its lower districts. For centuries, the delicate natural balance was maintained. However, the increase in human and cattle population at the beginning of the 20th century disturbed this balance and the first maneaters started appearing. Soon the numbers of these maneaters increased and Kumaon became famous. The hunter Jim Corbett became famous with his exploits in this region. In his classic "Man Eaters of Kumaon", Jim corbett describes how he shot half a dozen of the most notorious killers in the district. One tiger had apparently killed 434 people before it fell to Corbett's shot. In "Temple Tiger", he describes how he killed the Champawat tiger and the Panar leopard, which had hunted 836 human beings in the first decade of this century. However, from the 1930s onwards the number of tigers fell sharply with the increase in the number of hunters, both Indian princes and sportsmen of the British Raj.

Elephants have a sizable population at Corbett Credit: Discover India

The situation deteriorated rapidly and in 1971 the Indian government banned the killing of tigers. Project Tiger was started and the Jim Corbett National Park was formed -- the name honouring the famous hunter of the past. Although some argue that the park and the project have proved to be a wonderfully successful program to save the tigers of India, the fact remains that the project has not been free from controversies. Official figures put the number of tigers at close to 5,000. However, experts on the subject and independent sources say that the actual figure may be closer to 3,000 than to 5,000. There is a rising demand for tiger related goods. Tiger skins and bones are in strong demand. Poachers and smugglers have established a clever route by which tigers surface in the form of medicines and balms in Chinese markets as Chinese "medicine". Not a year goes by without stories of seizures of bones and skins by customs officials. But these seizures are only the tip of the iceberg and the poaching still continues.

An Indian otter scouts for fish, Corbett National Park Credit: Discover India

The Corbett National Park is located in the large Doon valley, on the lower slopes of the Lesser Himalaya. It contains and protects a large variety of wildlife other than tigers. The park features a dense vegetative cover of Sal forests and tall grasses. It is home to a number of species ranging from the Asiatic elephant (elephas maximus) to the Ganges Ghariyal (garialis gangeticus), a species of crocodile with long thin snouts. Wild boars, various species of deer and monkeys are some of the wildlife to be found in the park.

The story of the Asian elephant is a genuine success story from the animal conservationist's viewpoint. This animal once roamed the Asian continent from Syria to northern China. However, the numbers dwindled from millions at the turn of the century to an estimated 55,000. India itself is home to about 20,000 elephants in the wild, with about 200 breeding in captivity. India accounts for 35% of Asia's elephants.