Jim Corbett: A Hunter Turned Naturalist | 8th English Supplementary Unit 2

Jim Corbett, A Hunter Turned Naturalist

Supplementary - Unit 2 - 8th English

Edward James Corbett, popularly known as Jim Corbett was a British wild life photographer, hunter, tracker, naturalist, and writer. He has hunted a number of man-eating tigers and leopards in India.

Edward James Corbett, popularly known as Jim Corbett was a British wild life photographer, hunter, tracker, naturalist, and writer. He has hunted a number of man-eating tigers and leopards in India. He had a lot of experience with tigers and other wild animals to shoot with his cine film camera. Corbett always preferred to hunt alone and on foot. He often hunted with Robin, his dog. Though he was an expert hunter, he admired wild life. He did not like to kill wild animals for pleasure or sport. But he did not hesitate to kill man-eating tigers or leopards. He hunted these animals only to help people and only at the request of the Government. He took no joy from the kill. He often said that not against the law of nature, but against the laws of human.”

According to his theory, a tiger starts eating humans, when they grow old or get hurt. As, they can not run fast, they start killing humans. People can not run as fast as animals, so they become easy prey. After eating human flesh once, a tiger will not eat any other flesh. These tigers are called man-eaters.

His first, man eating tiger hunt was, The Champawat Tiger. It was a Bengal tigress responsible for nearly 436 deaths in Nepal and the Kumaon area of India. Her attacks have been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest number of fatalities from a tiger. She was shot in 1907 by Jim Corbett.

The tigress began her attacks in a Rupal village in western Nepal, Himalayas. Hunters were sent to kill the tiger, but she managed to escape from them. The Nepalese Army, after failing to capture or kill the tiger, drove her across the border into India. There she continued her killings in the Kumaon District. All her kills happened during the daylight. After several incidents people stopped going into the forest, to collect firewood, fruits, roots and other things. They were terrified to go out, and refused to leave their huts for work after hearing her roar from the forest. The British government requested Jim Corbett to help the villagers. He agreed to hunt down the man-eater.

He camped in the Kumaon District, and started tracking the tigress. He moved around the villages and restricted the activities of the man-eater. After several unsuccessful attempts, Corbett managed to kill, the tiger when it killed a 16-year-old girl, in the village, near Champawat, and left a trail of blood, which Corbett followed. After a whole day of pursuit, Corbett had to abandon the hunt, decided to use villagers and to organise a bait the next day near the Champa River. With the help of the thasildar of Champawat, the bait was organised with about 300 villagers. The next day, Corbett shot the tigress dead, near the Chataar Bridge, in Champawat. A "cement board" was erected, marking the place where the tigress was finally brought down.

A postmortem on the tigress showed the upper and lower canine teeth on the right side of her mouth were broken, the upper one in half, the lower one right down to the bone. This injury was a result of an old gunshot from a game hunter who failed to track and kill it. According to Corbett, probably this injury prevented her from hunting her natural prey, and hence, she started to hunt humans.

DO YOU KNOW

Jadav Payeng is better known as the Forest Man of India. He earned this name by spending 30 years of his life planting trees, creating a real man-made forest of 550 hectares.

Jim Corbett was always against game hunting. He strongly advocated that deforestation and human encroachment were the main cause of the mischief of wild animals. He went on lecturing tours to educate the people about their natural heritage and the need to conserve forests and their wildlife. He promoted the "Association for the Preservation of Game "and the "All-India Conference for the Preservation of Wildlife." He played a key role in establishing, India's first national park in the Kumaon Hills, the Hailey National Park, in Uttarakhand, India. It was initially named after, Lord Malcolm Hailey. Jim Corbett died on 19 April 1955. The park was renamed in 1957 as, The Jim Corbett National Park. It was named after him to honour his role in establishing this protected area in 1930s.

Wildlife and its Conservation: Aims, Acts, and Organizations

Wildlife and its Conservation

Study Material, Lecturing Notes, Assignment, Reference, Wiki description explanation, brief detail
10th Science : Chapter 22 : Environmental Management : Wildlife and its Conservation

Wildlife and its Conservation

Wild life refers to the undomesticated animals living in their natural habitats (forests, grasslands and deserts) an area without human habitation. They are needed for maintaining biological diversity. It also helps in promoting economic activities that generates revenue through tourism. Conservation of forest and wildlife is interrelated with each other.

1. Decline in Wildlife Population

Wildlife of India is a great natural heritage. Exploitation of wildlife resources has decreased global wildlife population by 52% between 1970 and 2014. Over exploitation and shrinking of forest cover areas has resulted in animals becoming extinct, some are threatened and some are on the verge of extinction. In recent years, increase in human encroachment has posed a threat to India’s wildlife.

2. Aims of Wildlife Management

The main aim of wildlife conservation are:

• To control and limit exploitation of species.
• To preserve the plants and animals from extinction.
• Maintenance of threatened species and protect species which are on the verge of extinction.
• Preserve the endangered species.
• To study the ecological relationship of the plants and animals in natural habitat.
• Hunting and poaching should be prohibited.
• Establishment of National parks, Wildlife sanctuaries, protected areas and Biosphere reserves.

The Wildlife protection Act was established in 1972. The provisions of the act are

• Prohibit killing and hunting of specified animals.
• Constitute sanctuaries, national parks, and closed areas for wildlife conservation.
• Special schemes for preservation of endangered species.
• Constitute Central Zoo Authority and recognition of zoos.
• Restrict, regulate or prohibit trade in wild animals and products obtained from them.

3. Organisations Involved in Conservation of Wildlife

• Indian Board for WildLife (IBWL)
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for Nature
• World Conservation Union (WCN)
• International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources (IUCN)
• Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Bombay Natural History Society
• Wild life Preservation Society of India, Dehradun

Endangered Species in India

XYZ COLLEGE/SCHOOL

PROJECT ON ENDANGERED SPECIES

Name: ABC

Reg No: 123456

Date: 18-09-2025

Endangered Species of India

An overview of the rare and threatened wildlife of the Indian Subcontinent.

1. Indian Rhinoceros

Overview

The Indian Rhinoceros (Greater One-Horned Rhino) is famous for its thick, armour-like skin. Unlike its African cousins, it has only one horn. Once found across the entire Indo-Gangetic plain, it is now restricted to small pockets in India and Nepal.

Quick Facts

• Status: Vulnerable (IUCN).
• Population: Approx. 3,500+ individuals in the wild.
• Key Habitat: Kaziranga National Park holds over 70% of the population.

Threats & Conservation

The biggest threat is poaching for their horns, used in traditional medicine, and habitat loss due to agriculture. Successful conservation efforts, particularly in Assam, have seen their numbers rise from near extinction in the early 1900s.

2. Bengal Florican

Overview

The Bengal Florican is one of the world's rarest bustards. It is known for the male's elaborate courtship display where they jump into the air above the tall grass to attract females.

Conservation Status

Listed as Critically Endangered, fewer than 1,500 remain globally. Their survival depends entirely on the preservation of Terai grasslands. The main threat is the conversion of grassland into agricultural land for rice production.

3. Gharial

Overview

The Gharial is a unique fish-eating crocodile characterized by its long, thin snout. Males develop a bulbous growth on the tip of their snout called a 'ghara' (pot), used for vocal resonance.

Why are they threatened?

Once abundant in all major river systems, they are now Critically Endangered. The population crashed by 96% due to:

• Entanglement in fishing nets.
• Loss of riverine habitat due to dams and sand mining.
• Depletion of fish stocks (their primary food).

4. Asian Elephant

Overview

The largest land mammal in Asia, the elephant is a cultural icon in India. They are "Gardeners of the Forest," playing a vital role in spreading seeds.

Major Challenges

• Habitat Fragmentation: Forests are being cut for development, blocking ancient migration corridors.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: As habitats shrink, elephants raid crops, leading to tragic conflicts with farmers.
• Poaching: Though banned, ivory poaching still threatens male elephants.

5. Great Indian Bustard

Overview

This heavy flying bird looks like an ostrich and was once a contender for India's National Bird. It inhabits dry grasslands and scrub.

On the Brink

Listed as Critically Endangered, with perhaps fewer than 150 individuals left, mostly in Rajasthan. The major modern threat is collision with high-voltage power lines in the desert, alongside habitat loss to agriculture.

6. Blackbuck

Overview

Known for their magnificent spiral horns and two-tone coat, Blackbucks are fast runners. They are held sacred by the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, who fiercely protect them.

Status

While they faced severe hunting pressure in the past (reducing their numbers drastically), legal protection and community conservation have helped them recover. They are currently listed as Near Threatened.

7. South Asian River Dolphin

Overview

The Ganges River Dolphin is India's National Aquatic Animal. Living in muddy river waters, they are essentially blind and rely entirely on ultrasonic echolocation to hunt prey.

Conservation

They are highly endangered due to river pollution, dam construction which splits populations, and accidental bycatch in fishing nets. Interestingly, India has declared them "non-human persons" to forbid their captivity for entertainment.

8. Siberian Crane

Overview

These majestic white birds are known for the longest migration among cranes. While the eastern population in China survives, the western population that used to winter in Bharatpur, India, has not been seen there since 2002, likely due to hunting along the migration route in Afghanistan and Central Asia.

9. Ganges Shark

Overview

A true river shark found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra, it is often confused with the Bull Shark. It is adapted to turbid fresh water with small eyes and teeth suited for catching fish.

It is Critically Endangered and rarely seen. Its reputation as a man-eater is largely a myth; those attacks are usually by Bull Sharks.

10. Dhole (Indian Wild Dog)

Overview

The Dhole is a highly social pack hunter that communicates with distinct whistles. They are excellent hunters, often taking down prey much larger than themselves.

Threats: They are endangered due to habitat loss and, significantly, diseases (like distemper and rabies) transferred from domestic village dogs.

11. Red Panda

Overview

Found in the Eastern Himalayas (Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh), the Red Panda looks like a cross between a bear and a raccoon. They are solitary, arboreal animals that feed almost exclusively on bamboo.

Conservation: They are Endangered due to deforestation and poaching for their distinctive red fur. Community-based tourism in places like Nepal and India is now helping protect their habitat.

12. Indian Wild Ass (Khur)

Overview

One of the fastest Indian animals, the Khur is found only in the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, a saline desert. They are tough survivors of extreme heat.

Status: The population has recovered from a low of 362 in the 1960s to over 4,800 today. However, being restricted to a single location makes them vulnerable to disease outbreaks like Surra.

Conclusion

Through this project, I realized that India's biodiversity is fragile. Many species are on the brink of extinction not just because of natural causes, but due to human encroachment and climate change. It is our responsibility to support conservation efforts and protect these animals for future generations.

THANK YOU