Corbett Tiger Reserve

About Corbett Tiger Reserve

Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India. It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park with an aim to protect the Bengal tiger which had become the most endangered species due to constant hunting. In the eighties, Corbett was chosen as the first park to launch Project Tiger. This park is now part of Uttarakhand after the splitting of Uttar Pradesh. It is located at the foothills of the Himalayas, in the district of Nainital. It was named after the legendary naturalist and hunter, Jim Corbett. Jim was an Englishman who authored the famous book ‘Man-eaters of Kumaon’ in 1944. He played a key role in the establishment of this park which is also known for its rich population of the fearless master predators. Visitors of this park get an opportunity to catch the sight of an untamed tiger. Other than the tigers, this park also offers shelter to a sizable number of elephants. The serene Ramganga river which flows nearby offers a continuous supply of water to the region leading to abundant fauna and flora. Because of this uneven terrain, this park offers conducive space to the predating big cats. It makes it one of the most frequented tiger reserves in India which is also known for its varied and magnificent wildlife and picturesque landscape.

Pleasant incursions

In this park one has the option to choose between jeep safaris, and the elephant back ride. It is one of the fun filled and exciting elephant safaris in India. Wildlife lovers will enjoy their nature watch and wildlife viewing from atop as a lifelong treasure memory. The park is also known for the most famous wild residents, the Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic Elephant. In aviation space it boasts of over 600 species of resident and migratory birds, Corbett is one of the richest bird regions of India and rightly so. Corbett is a pleasant haven for birdwatchers. The salient feature of this park is also the provision of night stay inside the reserve. In fact, it is among the few tiger reserves in India that allows overnight stays in the lap of the National Park. It is located on the outskirts of Patil Dun valley and Dhikala is the nearby place that offers night stay in the lodge. It is perceived as the most frequented destination in Corbett because of its green and rich flora and fauna. It also presents the visitors with abundant wildlife exposure.

 Fauna & Flora

 This park consists of uneven places, hills, marshy depressions, and grasslands. lake and vast dense forests of Sal trees. It has more than 110 tree species which offer shelter, shade and plush green cover to the region. It also offers a rich aviation habitat with 600 bird species including high altitude Lammergeiers and Steppe Eagles. Some of the prominent avian residents of the park include the barbet, bulbuls, minivet oriole, wagtail, munia, myna, collared scops and waterfowl. Other than the migratory birds it also provides habitat for parakeets, flycatchers, babblers, cuckoos, robins, warblers, finches, blue kingfisher, Indian and Great Pied hornbills.

In the mammal life it has more than 50 species of mammals, and 25 reptiles including Gharial and the fresh water mugger.

Thanks to its grasslands, it is also home to chital (spotted deer), sambar (Indian stag), chinkara (Indian gazelle), and muntjac (barking deer). It shelters jungle cats, leopard cats, striped hyena, dholes (wild dogs), and sloth bears. The visitors of this park will also catch the sight of the mighty Indian gaur, the rare fishing cat, wild boars, and ghorals (mountain goats).