2016-07-25 Mon

Jim Corbett – the man who caused terror to many notorious man-eaters and brought an end to the terror – was born on 25th July 1875. Today we celebrate his 141st Birth Anniversary.

Born in the town of Nainital in the Kumaon region of the Himalaya, Jim Corbett grew up spending much of his childhood exploring the wilderness that exists around. Having spent most of the time in dense jungle, it became a vast and never ending encyclopaedia of knowledge.

Before he was 19, he quit school and found employment with the Bengal and North Western Railway. Over the years he became a good hunter as well as wonderful naturalist. Being blessed with the excellent observation and great stamina, he became a very successful hunter.

During his life Corbett tracked and shot a number of leopards and tigers. Initially, Jim Corbett indulged in regular hunting and fishing. Jim Corbett he hunted at least a dozen man-eaters, who had killed more than 1500 people along with the sole companion: a small dog named Robin. He was also a pioneer conservationist and played a key role in the preservation of forest as well as wild life of India.

He noted down his experiences of the times he spent in Indian Forest; hunting man-eaters and otherwise and published them in the forms of books. His memoirs were a big success in India and abroad and were translated in more than 27 languages. His famous book Man-eaters of Kumaon was adapted into a Hollywood movie where as BBC published a documentary called the Man-eaters of India in 1986.

India honoured his dedication and contribution by naming the national park in Uttarakhand as ‘Jim Corbett National Park'. On the 100th year of the Birth of Jim Corbett i.e. in 1975, India Post issued a special commemorative stamp . This stamp of INR 0.25 features a ferocious image of Bengal Tiger.