Not far from Haridwar lies the Rajaji National Park, an example of prime elephant habitat, nestled between the mountains and the Ganges flowing nearby. The Park never receives publicity or media attention the way the better known Corbett and Ranthambore National Parks do, but it too has its own jewels, some of which are not constrained to remain within the Park boundaries. Rajaji itself has various entry points, gates like Chilla and Motichur with some differences in habitat and animal population. It is often a worthwhile exercise to probably visit each area once to get a sense of the place, and if lucky, get to see some of their rarer inhabitants.
Any conversion about Rajaji predictably begins with its elephant population. The fact is that Rajaji and Corbett actually form a corridor where the elephants travel from one to the other during specific times of the year, and many elephants seen in Corbett may well have crossed over from Rajaji. The elephant population can be seen pretty easily, for example, in Chilla foraging in the undergrowth, and in de- cent numbers. What is not so easily spotted, are its tigers.
In a country which the tiger is a major draw, where people will throng National Parks in droves in the most inclement and extreme weather just for a glimpse of it, the presence of a tiger in a National Park ups its desirability quotient many times over. The absence of the tiger similarly also takes the Park down when the animal goes missing, a case in point being Sariska where the number of visitors dropped dramatically from the day it was announced it had lost its tigers to poaching and other reasons. Rajaji, of course, does have tigers but not in the kind of numbers that the Ranthambore and the Corbett have, and consequently seeing them in the Park is a rare occurrence. Nature of course compensates for this in its own way, and the chances of a leopard sighting in the absence of the tigers consequently become better.
As those who have spent any time in the wildlife sanctuaries will testify, leopards are elusive creatures, and as a result, their sightings are rarer and fleeting as opposed to tiger sightings. Leopards are therefore a big draw for many in Rajaji. In the natural world where the larger and stronger tiger competes with a leopard for the same prey base, it is but natural that the tiger will also hunt the leopard. Tigers being bigger in size are often known to kill leopards found in their territory, and hence very seldom will tigers and leopards be seen in close proximity. The small tiger population in Rajaji therefore ensures that the Leopards thrive in the area. A close acquaintance, little interested in wildlife, and a very reluctant early riser for the safaris, actually saw 5 of them in a single stretch of road within Rajaji, much to this author’s consternation. The author is still waiting for his first sightings of the tiger and the leopard.
The visitors to the Park typically associate Rajaji with its elephants and invariably ask for, at the very least, a sighting of some. The drivers and the guides respond to their patrons accordingly and have been known at times to drive around the circular track in a perfunctory manner, looking for just that one animal. It then becomes a matter of luck as to what the guest will see, but invariably the elephants or the ubiquitous spotted deer make an appearance — the tiger a massive bonus when it appears. Very rarely do they take the initiative to point other animals and birds to the guests. Other than the one or two odd guides like Kundan Bisht, the Park ecosystem, comprising the guides and the drivers, and sometimes even the forest guards, rarely stopped for or even discussed any wildlife other than the elephants and the tigers. The most skillful guides and drivers in any National Park will have patience in spades, and above all intimate knowledge of where certain creatures can be found, not just the dominant species, and Rajaji could well do with some of them. What this does to the visitor to the Park is that he is seldom shown the birds in the area, even when they are rarer spottings than the tiger. It also means that unless a visitor finds a knowledgeable guide, it is imperative he or she does his own research and spotting of animals and birds.
For those seeking birdlife, finding a knowledgeable guide in Rajaji will be an issue. For those willing to look however, the Park is heaven for seeing Hornbills. Three species of Hornbills are found here, the Indian Grey Hornbill being the commonest. The Grey Hornbill is found in urban settings as well, and one often sees them flying around in large metropolises like Delhi. Not too many visitors therefore look for this bird within Rajaji.The other two Hornbill species — the Oriental Pied Hornbill and the Great Hornbill — are however found only in the forested areas, and Rajaji is one of the best places to see them. The Great Hornbill, in fact, is listed as a vulnerable species by IUCN, and is the state bird of Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala. The Oriental Pied Hornbill, on the other hand, are sighted in larger numbers in the Park and its outskirts, and despite lacking the majestic presence of the Great Hornbill, makes for interesting sightings. Seeking these two species of birds may well be worth a trip to this National Park.
The Chilla range of Rajaji is also a great place to see the Changeable Hawk Eagle and the Crested Serpent Eagle. These species are not the rarest eagles found in the country, and every single drive through the Park will throw up a few individuals at various stages of development, some juvenile, some older in their nests, or some high in the tree tops calling their mates in their distinctive manner. The best sightings are often when these birds are found with a kill, at which time they ignore human presence till such time the people do not get too close.
The Bindasini area in Chilla threw up a very interesting find during the author’s last trip there. A famous temple is located in this area as a result of which the place sees a heavy influx of locals visiting it ever so often. The river runs nearby and at some junctures, vehicles must ford the river to get to the base of the hillock where the temple is located. This stretch of water, full of garbage thrown by people, also threw up the rare Spotted Forktail, and the Plumbeous Water Redstart and the White capped Redstart, oblivious to the chaos around them.
The Forktail, a shy and retiring bird, is difficult to see at the best of times, and for it to be located so near human habitation was an interesting find. In a reflection of the kind of birds and animals the typical visitor wants to see, even the experienced bird guides and drivers did not know of the Forktail or its significance when it was first pointed out to them — and since then they have been offering specific trips just to show this bird to experienced birders.
The Chilla gate of the Rajaji National Park is some 8 km from the Haridwar railway station. Trains are therefore viable options to reach the National Park. GMVN Chilla, a wonderful property, is located just outside the Rajaji National Park less than a km away, and is a great place to stay. Saroj Kukreti (Ph: 07895690981) who oversees the GMVN Chilla and other properties at Lansdowne, etc, has completely transformed the place. Bookings can also be made by calling one Mr Rana (Ph: 9568006649, 9568006623). Kundan Bisht (Ph: 9917569684/9368125474) arranges safaris to the Park and the surrounding areas, and can be contacted for prior bookings.