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Corbett
National Park
Total Coverage Area: 52,082 hectares.
Established in: 1936 as a National Park
Originally Names As: Hailey National Park
Renamed As: Corbett National Park In 1957
Declared As: A Tiger Reserve In 1973
Description:
 The
Corbett National Park, where Project Tiger
was launched in 1973, is regarded as India's finest
national park and its major attractions are the Tiger,
Indian Elephant and Leopard.Corbett national park is drained by
the Ramganga river, the dam at Kalagarh forming a huge lake to the
west of the national park. The park is essentially a large low
valley.
A
range of hills runs through the middle of the national park,
roughly east to west. The forests are moist deciduous, with Sal as
the dominant tree.Chir Pine trees are to be found on the higher
ridges of the hills. On the low-lying areas riverine forests, with
Shisham and Khair trees, are intermixed with grasslands known
locally as 'Chaurs'.
Project Tiger(Corbett National Park):
The overage area of the park was 520-sq-kms in 1986, and a
proposed extension of 588-sq-kms is under consideration.
Project Tiger, which was set up with the help of the
World Wildlife Fund, was launched at Dhikala, in the
Corbett National Park on April 1, 1973. This project was
aimed at saving the Indian tiger from extinction. Over 50 mammals,
580 birds and 25 reptile species have been listed in the
Corbett National Park.The insect life is also astounding,
noticeably specially after the monsoons. But undoubtedly, the
jewel of the Corbett is the Indian tiger. It was estimated that in
1984, the tiger population was 90 in this national park.
Corbett was the former hunting preserve of the
Maharaja of Rewa and at present is a famous natural hub for White
Tigers. White Tigers, in human and cattle population in the
beginning of the 20th century led to the disturbance of this
balance, and the first man-eaters started appearing. Soon the
numbers of these man-eaters increased and Kumaon became famous.
 The
hunter Jim Corbett became famous with his leopard
shooting exploits in this region. In his book "Temple Tiger", he
describes how he killed the Champawat Tiger and the Panar Leopard,
which had hunted 836 human beings in the first decade of this
century. However from 1930s onwards, the number of tigers fell
sharply with the increase in the number of hunters who belonged to
the Indian royals as well British sportsmen.
The
situation deteriorated rapidly and in 1971, the Indian government
banned the killing of tigers. Project Tiger was
started and the Jim Corbett National Park was formed - the name
honoring the famous hunter of the past.
The Wild Attractions(Corbett National Park):
The Sloth Bear, Himalayan Black Bear, Dhole, Jackal, Yellow
Throated Martem, Himalayan Palm Civet, Indian Grey Mongoose,
Common Otter, Porcupine, Clack-taped Hare are the other
attractions of this area. It is possible to see elephants all over
the park too. There are four species of deer residing over here.
These are the Chital, the well-known Spotted Deer, Para, Kakka,
and the Barking Deer. The Goat Antelopes are represented by the
Ghoral.
There is a lot for the bird watchers in this park. It has over 580
species of birds. Most of the water birds are migrant, and arrive
in winters. Some of these are the Greylag, Bar-headed Goose, Duck,
Grepe, Snipe, Sandpiper, Gull and wagtail. The residents include
Darters, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, the black-necked Stork and
the spur winged Lapwings
Reptiles, which are residents of this area, are the Gharial, the
rare Fish eating, long - nosed Crocodile, and a few species of
Turtles and Tortoises. The Indian Python, Viper, Cobra, Krait and
King Cobra also inhabit the Corbett National Park.
Climate(Corbett National Park):
As with the rest of the country, there are three well-defined
seasons at the Corbett National Park. winter from
November to February, summer from March to June and the rainy
season the rest of the year.
Tarvel info(Corbett National Park)
By Air: Phoolbagh, Pantnagar at a distance of 50
km is the nearest airport. Delhi at a distance of 300 km is the
nearest international airport.
By Rail: Ramnagar is on the broad gauge track
from where the road transport options have to be availed to reach
the park.
By Road: Dhikala is 300 km from Delhi, 145 km
from Lucknow and 51 km from Ramnagar. The route from Delhi spans
Hapur-Murababad-Ramnagar. The turn off is some 7 km beyond
Muradabad to the left, marked by a small board. The route from
Lucknow spans Bareilly. Kichha. Rudrapur. Doraha. Kashipur |
