We heard them, we saw plenty of their pug marks, we came across others who actually saw one and we trawled all over the Reserve, but we did not actually see a tiger. Damn! Some of the forestry and ranger posts were tiger and elephant proofed as added precaution. Houses and outposts were surrounded by 10 feet tall electric fences and 6 foot deep trenches. Only slight paranoid then...Seriously, a male tiger come weigh in at 350kg (which is a little bigger than an African male lion, by the way!) and if it decides that you are lunch there is not much to do except hide behind your electric fences and deep trenches! After all, a human must be like "spam in a can" for these wild beasts. We are slow, clumsy, weak and don't come with irritating fur or hide, antlers or hooves. Tiger bliss!

But considering that tigers are the masters of camouflage, and this place is so dense in some places, it is a miracle to actually see one at all! Our guide did spot a krait (a type of deadly snake) lying in a sluggish stream in the mottled shade about 5m away. It was a brilliant spot and the size of this snake was impressive when it did eventually slither into the thick brush. We were very happy to be in the jeep and go way away. A black mamba it is not, but very fearsome nevertheless.

Remember what Bambi looked like? And his parents too? In real life, these flesh and blood creatures are stunning. The males' antlers were impressive indeed. Well, there are plenty of chilwan, or spotted deer, all over the reserve; but the start becoming so numerous that they do not actually garner any comment later in the day. In close attendance are troops of langurs. These monkeys like vervet monkeys found in Africa, except somebody has stretched their arms, legs and tails a little bit to get these guys' proportions. They have formed a symbiotic relationship and help each other avoid the tiger or leopard. Monkey see, monkey scream and both dart to safety! But since the chilwan is the favourite prey of the tiger, you have got to wonder whether these monkeys are actually up to the job. How many monkeys do you interact with and they still don't deliver?!

The Corbett Tiger Reserve is supposed to have about 20 - 30 tigers in it and each tiger has a 10km2 territory it patrols, then actually spotting one of these awesome creatures is pretty remote. But here is the million dollar question: if there are no boundary fences surrounding the reserve, and nobody is actually tracking these creatures, then how would the guides and rangers actually know the numbers in the reserve?

It seems strange that the Reserve should be named Corbett Tiger Reserve, especially in deep dark rural India. But Jim was revered by the villagers of the Kumuan region for tracking and destroying man-eating tigers (clearly these tigers liked a little Indian now and then...) that were terrorising the region in the late 20's and 30's. Like many legendary hunters, he turned to conservation and did more shooting tigers through the lens of a camera rather than the gunsight of a rifle. He campaigned to have areas declared reserves because he anticipated the clash between humans and those that inhabit the natural surrounds. Such influential was he, that he was honoured with the naming of this reserve. One of his most famous books is called The Man-eaters of Kumaon.

The only other Westerner we saw was Gary Kirsten and his family doing what we were doing. Except he did it with about a 10 man entourage. He is the coach of India and one of South Africa's best ever opening batsmen and he had seen his side demolish the Australian team in the test that we had seen a little of. Clearly riding on a high, you would never have guessed that he was this inspirational figure. Listening to him chat to those around him, you would never guess that he was as famous as he is. He just seemed like a regular guy taking his young family on a trip to the bush. He seemed a genuinely nice guy!

But thoughts like that fade later when a small herd of elephants coming crashing out the thick bush and amble away from you down the road looking very much as THEY were the inspiration for Disney's adaption of The Jungle Book and the elephants are off to have a cooling dip in the mud, glorious mud! In fact, seeing this reserve, Mogli and Baloo and Sheerkan and King Louise always seemed to disappear into the trees and bushes just as we came into view.....how did they know we were coming? After all.....I'm the King of the Jungle, the Jungle VIP......