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JIM CORBETT NATIONAL PARK
Jim Corbett National Park Nestling in the foothills of the Himalayas, the Corbett National Park extends over an area of more than 520 sq km. With the inclusion of the Sonanadi wildlife sanctuary to the west, Corbett has grown from 520 to 1318 sq km. Varied topography and vegetation gives Corbett a rich diversity in habitats and natural beauty. Flat valleys are interspersed with hilly ridges and the Park's rolling grasslands known as Chaurs provide an excellent view of its wildlife.
The magnificent Ramganga river flows through the park. While the dense cover ofsal cloaks the higher ridges, mixed deciduous forests are found throughout the park, over 110 varieties of trees, 51 species of shrubs and over 33 kinds of bamboos and grasses are also to be seen here.This national wildlife reserve is named after a famous British hunter-- Jim Corbett. Corbett, who had written the famous book,The Man-Eaters of Kumaon was greatly revered by the local people for hunting down tigers that had developed a liking for human flesh. He was instrumental in setting up the reserve and eventually 'shot' more wildlife with his camera than with is gun.
Park Population ::
Corbett has the highest density of Tiger in the country-- approximately one every 10 sq km and it was here that the prestigious "Project Tiger" was launched in 1973. Four species of deer -- hog deer, sambar, chital and barking deer and other prey like the wild boar, are fodder for the tiger.
Besides the tiger, Corbett is a haven for 50 mammals, 580 kinds of birds and 25 reptile species. The park has elephants, the Himalayan black bear in the higher elevations, sloth bear, varieties of lesser cats, dhole the wild dog and an entire spectrum of colourful birds including water birds, pheasants, jungle fowl and the Indian hornbill.
BBasking along the banks of the Ramganga are the slender snouted Gharial and the mugger or marsh crocodile. The river is rich in the magnificent mahaseer-- a fine sporting fish prized by anglers, though angling is not permitted inside the national park. Other varieties fish found here are the goonch and the brown trout.
Best Time to Visit :
The Corbett park is from mid-November to mid-June. The park is open to visitors between November and June. The best time to visit depends upon the interest of the visitor -- summer is best for observing the larger mammals and winter, for water birds Getting There :
The nearest airport to the Corbett park is the Pantnagar airport. The nearest railhead is that of Ramnagar. It is 51 kms from Dhikala. Entry to the forest is just outside Ramnagar. Ramnagar is on the Moradabad - Ramanagar branch line. Again from Ramanagar one has to take the road to access the park. Ramnagar, headquarters of Project Tiger is an obligatory point for going to the park. Here, besides regular bus services, govt. mini buses are also available
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