From childhood, Jim Corbett, who was born in India in 1875, was at one with the jungles, an expert shikari & an excellent shot, killing his first leopard when he was eight. Tigers were his most sought-after prey but, in time, he began to turn towards conservation. From the mid-1920s, he ceased to shoot tigers for sport: instead he photographed them. He did not stop killing tigers altogether: he still hunted
- but man-eaters. In old age, Corbett became world famous for his stories about his exploits: his best-known book, Man-eaters of Kumaon, told of his adventures against these dangerous, pathetic creatures reduced to killing humans because age or infirmity, often caused by sportsmen's ill-aimed bullets, prevented them from taking their natural prey. In 1936, Corbett was instrumental in the establishment of the first Indian tiger reserve, possibly the world's first big-game 'park'. For the rest of his life, he was dedicated to the preservation of wildlife. This is the story of a hunter-turned conservator & a typical 'domiciled' Englishman in India. It is also a tale of courage, of a deep love for India & her people, & a dedication to natural beauty. To this day, Corbett is revered in northern India as a legendary holy figure who fought the devil in his disguise as a man-eating big cat, & his books on jungle lore & wildlife are also well-respected.