People of Champawat gathered to commemorate the birth anniversary of legendary hunter, conservationist and author Jim Corbett who saved thousands of villagers of Kumaon and Garhwal from man- eating tigers and leopards.
The rest houses of Corbett in Dubarjainal, Tank where he stayed during his campaigns of eradicating the man- eaters of the regions, will be protected as memorials of the great wildlife lover, said the residents of Champawat.
Born in Kaladhungi village of Nainital district on July 25, 1875, the Irishman had rescued villagers of several regions of Kumaon including, Mukteshwar, Champawat, Talladesh, Tak and Rudraprayag by killing man-eating tigers and leopards.
“During this period when he killed over 33 man eating leopards and tigers in Kumaon region, Jim never killed any non man eating tiger ,” said Sher Singh Mahar who has witnessed the days when Corbett killed the Champawat tiger which had killed over 35 villagers in the villages of Neer, Boyal, Gurkholi Thulakot Lwargi , Bakora and Soragi villages of present Champawat district.
Another old-timer Padma Dutt Pant said Corbett never killed wild animals without purpose and had named the tigers as gentlemen of jungle. “An incident mentioned by Jim Corbett in one of his books shows that he was kind enough towards wildlife. While wandering in a Champawat jungle in search of man eaters, he saw a tiger which picked up two eggs from a nest. He shot and killed the animal but deposited the eggs in the nest, considering them as auspicious for the occasion,” Pant said.
{{/usCountry}}Another old-timer Padma Dutt Pant said Corbett never killed wild animals without purpose and had named the tigers as gentlemen of jungle. “An incident mentioned by Jim Corbett in one of his books shows that he was kind enough towards wildlife. While wandering in a Champawat jungle in search of man eaters, he saw a tiger which picked up two eggs from a nest. He shot and killed the animal but deposited the eggs in the nest, considering them as auspicious for the occasion,” Pant said.
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