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        CORBETT NATIONAL PARK

Jim Corbett National Park — named after the famous hunter and naturalist who
played a key role in its establishment — is the oldest national park in India. The park
was originally established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. Situated in Nainital
district of Uttarakhand, the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered
Bengal tiger of India, the secure survival of which is the main objective of Project
Tiger, an Indian wildlife protection initiative

Some areas of the park were formerly part of the princely state of Tehri Garhwal. The
forests were cleared to make the area less vulnerable to Rohila invaders. The Raja
of Tehri formally ceded a part of his princely state to the British in return for their
assistance in ousting the Gurkhas from his domain. The Boksas - a tribal people
from the Terai - settled on the land and began growing crops, but in the early 1860s
they were evicted with the advent of British rule. The British forest department
established control over the land and prohibited cultivation and the operation of cattle
stations. The British administration considered the possibility of creating a game
reserve there in 1907 and established a reserve area known as Hailey National Park
covering 323.75 km˛ (125 sq mi) in 1936. The preserve was renamed in 1954-55 as
Ramganga National Park and was again renamed in 1955-56 as Corbett National
Park. The new name honors the well-known author and wildlife conservationist Jim
Corbett, who played a key role in creating the reserve by using his influence to
persuade the provincial government to establish it.

The reserve does not allow hunting, but does permit timber cutting for domestic
purposes. Soon after the establishment of the reserve, rules prohibiting killing and
capturing of mammals, reptiles and birds within its boundaries were passed. The
park fared well during the 1930s under an elected administration. But during the
Second World War, it suffered from excessive poaching and timber cutting] Over time
the area in the reserve was increased — 797.72 km˛ (308 sq mi) were added in
1991 as a buffer for the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The 1991 additions included the
entire Kalagarh forest division, assimilating the 301.18 km˛ (116.3 sq mi) area of
Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary as a part of the Kalagarh division. It was chosen in 1974
as the location for launching Project Tiger, an ambitious and well known wildlife
conservation project. The reserve is administered from its headquarters in the
district of Nainital.

Corbett National Park is one of the thirteen protected areas covered by World Wildlife
Fund under their Terai Arc Landscape Programme. The programme aims to protect
three of the five terrestrial flagship species, the tiger, the Asian elephant and the
Great One-horned Rhinoceros, by restoring corridors of forest to link 13 protected
areas of Nepal and India to enable wildlife migration.


FLORA AND FAUNA


A total of 488 different species of plants have been recorded in the park. Tree density
inside the reserve is higher in the areas of Sal forests and lowest in the Anogeissus-
Acacia catechu forests. Total tree basal cover is greater in Sal dominated areas of
woody vegetation. Healthy regeneration in sapling and seedling layers is occurring
in the Mallotus philippensis, Jamun and Diospyros tomentosa communities, but in
the Sal forests the regeneration of sapling and seedling is poor.

Over 585 species of resident and migratory birds have been categorized, including
crested serpent eagles, blossom headed parakeet and the red jungle fowl —
ancestor of all domestic fowl. 33 species of reptiles, 7 species of amphibians, 7
species of fish and 37 species of dragonflies have also been recorded.

Bengal tigers, although plentiful, are not easily spotted due to the abundance of
camouflage in the reserve. Thick jungle, the Ramganga river, and plentiful prey make
this reserve an ideal habitat for tigers who are opportunistic feeders and prey upon a
range of animals. The tigers in the park have been known to kill much larger animals
such as buffalo and even elephant for food. The tigers prey upon the larger animals
in rare cases of food shortage, often in packs using the advantage of numerical
superiority. The reserve has enormous boars, weighing up to 200 pounds, who
provide a match for the tigers as a large male boar is capable of killing a tiger. There
have been incidents of tigers attacking domestic animals in times when there is a
shortage of prey.

Leopards are found in hilly areas but may also venture into the low land jungles.
Smaller felines in the park include the Jungle Cat, Fishing Cat and Leopard Cat.
Other mammals include four kinds of deer (barking, sambar, hog, and chital), Sloth
and Himalayan Black bears, Indian Grey Mongoose, otters, yellow-throated martens,
ghoral (goat-antelopes), Indian pangolins, and langur and rhesus monkeys. Owls
and Nightjars can be heard during the night.

In the summer, Elephants are seen in large herds of several hundred. The Indian
python found in the reserve is a dangerous species, capable of killing a chital deer.
Local crocodiles were saved from extinction by captive breeding programs that
subsequent;y released crocodiles into the Ramganga river.


HOW TO REACH

It is normally accessed from the town of Ramnagar, and is a two hour drive to the
north.

The main areas (Dhikala and Bijrani) of Jim Corbett National Park are closed from
16 June - 14 Nov for the monsoon season. Jhirna & Sitabani (Buffer Zone)remain
opened all year round.