Vttarakhand . 175
(fv) Kotedwar—Nazimabad—Dhampur—Kalagarh :
This route is approximately eighty kilometres long. The
petrol pump is at Kalagarh. A gravel forest connects Koted-
war with Kalagarh.
Accommodation and eatables are available at many places,
though one should be prepared to rough it out a little. Facilities
for cooking, crockery etc. exist in the rest house and the guest
house.
The fauna
A variety of animals and birds can be seen in the park. With
little luck one can see the elephant, tiger, panther, beer, large
Indian antelope, sambhar, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar,
monkeys, porcupine, mongoose, crocodile, ghariyal (long snouted
crocodile) and pythons. The jungle noise mixed with the roar of
lions speaks of the richness and variety of fauna. Birds of different
variety sing in a crescendo and then abruptly stop off creating a
resonant silence. The occasional call of the pea fowl pierces the
still night to great distances. At times peculiar laughter of the
hyena is heard. At intervals, the colony of monkeys kicks up a
deafening noise. You can perceive the panther on the prowl,
•shaking the trees, the violent movement of the colony to the
higher branches gain momentum as the big cat comes near and
then as the tiger leaves the ground the noise slows down.
A variety of birds can also be seen in the park. A guide is
very useful to help identify the birds and beasts. Some of the
prominent birds that are seen at the park are babbler, bulbul,
crow, pheasant, paradise, fly catcher, flower pecker, golden wood
pecker, hornbill, snipe, robin, magpie, lark, oriole, pea-cock,
laughing-thrush, quail, sand piper, wrbler, white stork (Haji lak
lak), scavenger, vulture, black patridge, Himalayan wood owl,
common hawk, cuckoo or the brown fever bird (pipiha).
In spite of the depredations of poachers, the Corbett Park is
still a place where animals are free and safe.
Call for protecting the flora and fauna of the Himalayas
A clarion call has been given to protect the flora and fauna of
the Himalayas which has been reflected in the passing of the