Jim Corbett was born on 25th July 1875, in British India. Colonel James Edward Corbett slew eleven man-eating tigers in the foothills of the Himalayas and became the most widely read of all authors on India`s wildlife. It was his defence of tigers in his book that has stayed on in the memory of his readers. Between 1905 and 1907 he shot the first man-eating tiger and panther. He has been a legend in his own lifetime.
Life of Jim Corbett
Jim Corbett hunted many of the tigers in the sal forests of the Ramganga River valley. He was not a full-throated fighter for the wildlife preservation. Corbett was a harbinger of change. In his later works he wrote more about the forests, trees, flowers, birds and animals. He is a hunter, conservationist and naturalist. His success in slaying the man-eaters earned him much reverence and distinction amongst the people residing in the villages of Kumaon, many of whom considered him a saint.
Jim Corbett was a trail-blazing conservationist and lectured at local schools and societies to motivate awareness of the natural environed beauty and the need to conserve forests and their fauna. The tiger slayer was also known as a zealous photographer, illustrations of which still enrich his followers and readers. It was precisely after his retirement that Jim Corbett penned the `Man-eaters of Kumaon`, `Jungle Lore`, `The Man Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag` and some other books recounting his hunts and experiences. These number of volumes enjoyed much critical acclamation and commercial achievement. Jim Corbett spoke up for the need to protect India`s wildlife from extinction. The Corbett National Park in Kumaon Himalaya has been named in his venerated honour.
Some of the other books that were authored by Jim Corbett include `Tree Tops` and `My India`, which have solely been dedicated in memory of Indian man-eaters and of course the country he loved to reside in. He acted cleverly to suit Indian writing needs. His scripting fashion was perhaps in-born, further heightening the books` clarity and conciseness; always sticking to the precise point, Jim Corbett was conscious to drive his information home. He was a man of extreme eruditeness and had even been capable to include classical elements in his writing. The manner in which the tiger slaying episodes have been described, exude a sense of anticipation, thrill and finally catharsis. He always maintained the `diary` fashion, noting down the exact dates, as if reminiscing the moment of action.
`Jungle Lore` was the closest that Jim Corbett ever came to penning an autobiography; his hugely contrasting writing features of being scholarly, descriptive and vivid, have always made him a hit amongst readers of all ages. He was always remembered as that loving British gentleman who never looked down upon `blacks`. He passed away on 19th April 1955.
