“Behind Jim Corbett’s Stories: An Analytical Journey to ‘Corbett’s Places’ and Unanswered Questions” attempts to answer some of the lingering questions of Corbett’s legacy based on rigorous scholarly study of the existing evidence and archival documents. The book is written by a group of authors from different continents, passionate fans of nature conservation and researchers of Jim Cor- bett’s legacy. The reader will find scholarly explanations of some of the mysterious encounters, described in Cor- bett stories, as well as details of his hunts, including case studies of the places, people, dates and controversies sur- rounding some of the Corbett stories. The book is the re- sult of multiple trips of the authors to Kumaon, the back- drop of Jim Corbett’s stories. “Many people have expressed an eagerness to go on the trail of Jim Corbett. They will be curious and have ques- tions, doubts and imagination about the legendary hunt- er-writer-conservationist. This book will answer their questions and lay to rest their doubts.” Dr. A.J.T. Johnsingh Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and WWF-India “‘Behind Jim Corbett’s stories’ is a rich reward for true Cor- bett aficionados. An invaluable guide to anyone with the will to make a trip to Corbett country and second only to Corbett’s own words.” Keith McCafferty award-winning author and survival and outdoors skills editor of Field & Stream magazine, USA logos Priyvrat Gadhvi (India) Preetum Gheerawo (Mauritius) Manfred Waltl (Germany) Joseph Jordania (Australia) Fernando Quevedo de Oliveira (Brazil) Behind JIM CORBETt’s Stories: An Analytical Journey to ‘Corbett’s Places’ and Unanswered Questions Guest author: Marc Newton (UK) Foreword by Peter Byrne (USA) LOGOS 2016 Editor: Bob Segrave Cover photos: (1) Jim Corbett (from Oxford University Press archives) (2) If you are trekking towards Chuka and Thak, you will be travelling along the mighty Sarda River. India is on your left side and Nepal is on your right, with Sarda acting as the border. This photo was taken by Manfred Walts during our 20 km trek to Chuka and Thak in April 2012 Back cover photo: On the 19th April 2014, the authors of this book decided to commemorate their hero’s death date by lighting a candle on the overhanging rock in Champa gorge, where Corbett killed his first man-eater Book cover design: Aleko Jikuridze © Priyvrat Gadhvi, Preetum Gheerawo, Manfred Waltl, Joseph Jordania, Fernando Quevedo de Oliveira All rights reserved The authors and the publisher permit others to use the ideas and materials from this book, as long as they are acknowledged. Disclaimer: Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every reasonable effort has been made by the authors and the publisher to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity. Program LOGOS Georgia, Tbilisi, I. Chavchavadze ave. 13 ISBN 978-9941-437-92-2 3 Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 PART ONE: PLACES ....................................................................................................................... 14 The Champawat Tigress Amphitheatre ..........................................................................................................15 BY PREETUM GHeerawo The Chowgarh Tigress’s giant slate ..................................................................................................................25 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Thak tigress killing site ......................................................................................................................................41 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA Historic rock where Thak tigress escaped Corbett, Ibbotson, and Tewari ................................................57 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA, PRIYVrat GADHVI PART TWO: PEOPLE ...................................................................................................................... 62 Kulomani: The Gaunt Friend of Corbett ........................................................................................................63 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Naruli Devi and Shri Ganga Dutt Bhatt: The brave mother and the “occupant of the basket” ...............68 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Premka Devi: The last victim of the Champawat Man-eater .......................................................................73 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Beena: Thak Tigress’s First Victim ...................................................................................................................78 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA The Identity of the Thak Man-Eater’s Second Victim ...................................................................................81 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA A man who put Corbett on a career of hunting man-eaters ........................................................................83 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA Other Characters Alluded to in the Champawat chapter in Maneaters of Kumaon ................................87 BY PRIYVrat GADHVI PART THREE: MYSTERY AND RESEARCH ............................................................................... 89 Mysterious Night Scream from the Deserted Thak Village .........................................................................90 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA, PREETUM GHeerawo, PRIYVrat GADHVI The Mystery of Champawat Bungalow .........................................................................................................104 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA The Mysterious Nagpur Man-Eater And Other Unknown Man-Eaters ..................................................115 BY PRIYVrat GADHVI From the National Archives of India: Ibbotson’s unknown letter .............................................................125 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA, PRIYVrat GADHVI Mystery of “War Fever” that gave India Rudraprayag Man-Eater ............................................................128 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA 4 Did Corbett kill a Ladhya man-eater in 1946? .............................................................................................130 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA & PRIYVrat GADHVI Search for Corbett Cartridges ........................................................................................................................134 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Corbett’s rifles ...................................................................................................................................................139 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Corbett Magic: Rigby Re-Connects with Corbett .......................................................................................144 BY Marc Newton Jim Corbett’s films ............................................................................................................................................150 BY PREETUM GHeerawo “Through Wounds and old age”: ....................................................................................................................159 BY MANFRED WALTL PART FOUR: CONTROVERSIES.................................................................................................185 Killing of the Chowgarh Man-Eater ..............................................................................................................186 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA The rudraprayag goat controversy .................................................................................................................203 BY PRIYVrat GADHVI The Kanda man-eating tigers .........................................................................................................................207 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Chowgarh Tigress Cub killing Date ..............................................................................................................215 BY PREETUM GHeerawo The Muktesar Man-Eater killing Date ..........................................................................................................219 BY PREETUM GHeerawo The Panar Leopard killing date ......................................................................................................................222 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Chuka Man-Eater Killing Date ......................................................................................................................225 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA The bear or the tiger? Norah Vivian controversy ........................................................................................234 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA Meeting with Jungle Stories – The Holy Grail for Corbett fans .................................................................237 BY PREETUM GHeerawo Was a tiger subspecies really named after Jim Corbett? .............................................................................241 BY JOSEPH JORDANIA PART FIVE: MAKING OF THE BOOK: KUMAON 2012 AND 2014 TRIP DIARIES ...........244 Corbett Trip Diary Kumaon, 2012 ................................................................................................................245 BY MANFRED WALTL Corbett Trip Diary