The Corbett National Park is located in the foothills of the majestic Himalayas in the state of Uttranchal in India. The Corbett National Park is home to a variety of flora and fauna. It is famous for its wild population of Tigers, Leopards and Elephants.

Once a popular hunting ground of the British, the Corbett National Park was named in honour of the late Jim Corbett, the legendary hunter-naturalist turned author and photographer, who spent most of his years in this area and contributed in setting up the park.

Set up in 1936 as India's first national park and possibly the finest, the Corbett National Park was first delimited in consultation with that great hunter and conserver, Jim Corbett. The park spans across some 920.9 square km at an altitude of 600 to 1100 metres about the foothills of the western Himalayas in the districts of Nainital and Pauri Garhwal in the state of Uttaranchal (formerly part of Uttar Pradesh). In its eventful 64-year life, it has grown considerably in size and now includes the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary as a part of its 1,319 sq km of reserved forest area. .

The Flora in Corbett National Park
A majority of the vegetation in Corbett consists of Sal trees (Shorea robusta), mainly in the lower regions. The higher regions have a larger variety of plants and trees. Some of these are the Chir (Pinus roxburghii), anauri (Legestroemia paruiflora) and Bakli (Anogeissus latifolia). Also found in various parts of the park are many different varieties of bamboo. One plant, (actually a weed) which is a major irritant to the park authorities and is widespread in the jungle is the Lantana.

The Fauna in Corbett National Park
Corbett is a haven for Tigers as well as its prey, which include four kinds of Deer, Wild Boar and some lesser-known animals. Apart from Tigers, Elephants, Leopards / Panthers, Jungle cats, Royal Bengal Tigers, Fishing Cats, Leopard cats, Himalayan black bears, Sloth bears, Jackals, Martens, Dholes, Civets, Mongooses, Otters, Hares, Porcupines, Chital (spotted deer), Sambar deer, Hog deer, Barking deer, Ghorals, Wild Boars, Pangolins, Macaques, Langurs and Blue Bulls (Nilgais) are some of the species which are found here.

The Avifauna in the Corbett National Park
Herons, Darters, Cormorants, Lapwings, Paradise Flycatchers, Munias, Weaver birds, Fishing eagles, Serpent eagles, Spotted Eagles, Black throated Payas, Mynas, Indian Roller, Jungle Fowl, Vultures, Thrushes, Barbets, Peacocks, peahens, Kingfishers, migrant Gulls, Moorhens, Ducks, Geese, Sandpipers, Nightjars, Cuckoos, Woodpeckers, Wagtails, Black winged Kits, Drongos, Doves, Plovers, Black necked Storks, Parakeets, Sarus Crane, Owls, Chir Pheasants, Kalij Pheasants, Grebes, Grey Lags, Snipes, Harriers, Ospreys, Minivets, Babblers, Hornbills, falcons and Stone Curlews. Corbett has nearly 600 bird species officially recorded in it’s log books.

The Fish in the Corbett National Park
Goonch, Mahaseer, Trout and many other smaller species are found here.

The Reptiles in the Corbett National Park
Gharials (fish eating Crocodiles), Mugger Crocodiles, Monitor Lizards, turtles, Cobras, Pythons and the Sal forest Tortoise.

Safaris in the Corbett National Park Jeep and Elephant Safari in Corbett
The Jim Corbett National Park endorses Jeep Safari, Horse Safari, Bird Safari, Elephant Safari, Fishing safari and the Nature walk. Take an early dawn elephant back safari with an authorized mahout guide.
Jeeps Safari, is the most convenient and comfortable way to travel within Corbett National Park. Jeep rides can be arranged at the Tourist Centre. Although jeeps penetrate deeper into the forest than elephants, they cannot get nearly as close to the wild animals. The jeeps can be rented for the park trips from Ramnagar, from the KMVN Tourist Lodge and other travel agencies.

TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS

The main feature of this ridged valley is the Ramganga River, running broadly west by south west, the catchment streams of which vivisect the land into numerous little ridges and ravines. The topography is therefore very varied-the streams forming islands of 'sheesham' trees, the ridges being thickly foliated with 'sal' trees and the pastures carrying long grasses. In this variety of habitat abounds wildlife of enchanting beauty including 50 mammals, 577 birds and at least 25 reptiles. The river teems with mahseer, gharial, mugger and flocks of cormorants.

Project Tiger was inaugurated here on April 1, 1973. The center of tourist activity in the park always continues to be Dhikala, at the heart of the core area. Here, substantial residential accommodation has been built along one end of a large grassy plateau perched on the edge of the cliff bordering the Ramganga reservoir.

Apart from tigers (90 in number in 1984), leopards as well as lesser cats such as the leopard cat, jungle cat, and fishing cat are also found here. The sloth bear, Himalayan black bear, dhole, jackal, yellow throated marten, Himalayan palm civet, Indian grey mongoose, common otter, porcupine, black naped hare are the other attractions of this area. It is possible to see elephants all over the park.

Four species of deer are found here. These are the barking deer, para, kakkar, and the well known spotted deer chital. The goat antelopes are represented by the ghoral.

There is a lot for the bird watching opportunities in this park as it has over 580 species of birds. Most of the water birds are the migrant variety, and arrive in winters. Some of these are the graylag, bareheaded goose, duck, grepe, snipe, sandpiper, gull and wagtail. The residents include darters, cormorants, egrets, herons, the black-necked stork and the spur winged lapwings.

The reptiles, which are residents of this area, are the rare fish eating, long-nosed crocodile gharial, and a few species of turtles and tortoises. The Indian python, viper, cobra, krait and king cobra also inhabit the Corbett National Park.

The national park offers invaluable experiences for adventurous and serious-minded wildlife-buffs, photographers and anglers. It is advantageous to have one's own vehicle here. Walking in some areas is permitted, but only when accompanied by a guide. Elephant rides for wildlife viewing, in the mornings and evenings, can be booked in the Dhikala complex.

PLACES AROUND CORBETT NATIONAL PARK

In the vicinity of the Corbett National Park are the wildlife sanctuaries like Rajaji National Park and Dudhwa National Park. Lucknow is the capital of Uttar Pradesh and one of the major tourist destinations in the country.

Rivers of Corbett
For the survival of such a remarkable gamut of floral and faunal species in Jim Jim Corbett National Park , water is a crucial factor. The Ramganga river forms the most prominent hydrological resource, supplemented by tributaries, most prominent of which are the Sonanadi, Mandal and Palain rivers. The river Kosi runs proximate to the Park and is also a significant water resource for nearby areas. Wildlife is dependent on rivers, more so in the dry season, for they provide drinking waters and also forms home to several key aquatic species.

Ramganga
Ramganga river is crucial for Corbett infact without it there would be no Corbett. It is the largest of the precious few perennial sources of water in the Park. A rain-fed river originating near Gairsain in the Lower Himalayas, the Ramganga traverses more than 100 km before entering Corbett near Marchula. Inside the Park it flows roughly 40 km till Kalagarh where it enters the plains. During this run through the Park it gathers waters from the Palain, Mandal and Sonanadi rivers.

The Ramganga is inhabited by key aquatic species like mahseer fish, the endangered gharials, mugger crocodiles, otters and turtles. Many species of birds, like kingfishers, fish-eagles, terns and storks depend on the Ramganga. During winters the Ramganga reservoir attracts many migratory bird species, especially waterbirds from Europe and Central Asia.

Kosi
The Kosi is a perennial river like the Ramganga and its catchment lies partially in Corbett NP. From Mohan through Dhikuli till Ramnagar, the Kosi forms the eastern boundary of Jim Corbett National Park. Even though the Kosi does not enter the Park boundary, wild animals from Corbett use it for drinking especially during pinch periods. Its bed is strewn with boulders and its flow is erratic and often changes course. Kosi is notorious for its unpredictable and damaging torrents during monsoon. Like Ramganga, the Kosi too is inhabited by mahseer and attracts migratory birds.

Sonanadi
The Sonanadi is an important tributary of the Ramganga. Named after this river the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary adjoins Jim Corbett National Park and forms an important part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The Sonanadi enters the Park from the northwest direction and meets the Ramganga at the reservoir.
The name Sonanadi means river of gold. At one time grains of gold, found in the alluvial deposits washed down from the higher areas, were extracted from the bed sand by sieving, washing and mercury treatment.

Mandal and Palain
The Mandal rises in the eastern heights in Talla Salan in Chamoli district. Forming a part of the northeastern boundary, Mandal flows for 32 km and joins the Ramganga at Domunda a little distance above Gairal. During the dry season, the Mandal contains very little water but during the monsoons it turns into a furious torrent. It forms a vital breeding ground for the endangered mahseer. The Palain is the third important tributary of the Ramganga and enters the Park from a northern direction. It meets the Ramganga about 3 km north of the Ramganga reservoir.

Sots
Sot is the local name for a seasonal stream. While traveling across the park you may cross several of these bouldery dry streams. Though most of them appear dry and lifeless, they are very important for the Park ecology. Animals depend on these sots for their drinking water requirements for a good part of the year. There are some sots in Corbett that are perennial, important ones being Paterpani, Laldhang, Kothirao, Jhirna, Dhara and Garjia. Since water is a limiting factor, these perennial sots provide water to wildlife during pinch periods. Many of these sots are covered with thick growth of evergreen shrubs and bamboo clumps which form ideal shelter for many animals including the tiger.