Corbett National Park is India’s first National Park. The Park was established in August 8, 1936, and named after the Governor of the United Provinces, Sir Malcolm Hailey, as Hailey National Park. In 1952, the Park’s name was changed to Ramganga National Park. In 1957, the Park was renamed yet again, this time after Jim Corbett, the famed hunter-author-photographer-naturalist. Jim Corbett is famous for his exploits in the jungles of Nainital and Kumaon, where he shot many man-eaters. The Man-eaters of Kumaon, The Temple Tiger and The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag are a few of Jim Corbett’s famous books. On the road to Nainital from the Park is Jim Corbett’s home, now a museum.

Situated in the north of Uttar Pradesh, in Nainital and Garhwal districts, Corbett National Park was the venue from where Project Tiger was launched on April 1, 1973. Project Tiger aimed at saving the tiger from extinction because a census in 1970 revealed that the tiger population had dwindled to 2,000, from 40,000 in 1913.

The Park is situated in the Himalayan foothills, amidst forested mountains that range from 400m (1,312ft) to 1,210m (3,970ft) in height. Through most of the Park flows the Ramganga River, on the banks of which lived a community in ancient times. It is believed that these people cleared away a tiny part of the forest, and made the area their home. Evidence in the form of terracotta figurines and ruined temples further corroborate the fact that the Ramganga valley was the home of an ancient civilisation.

The best places to stay within the Park are at Dhikala, Gairal and Bijrani. However, Dhikala is rather crowded with tourists. It is advisable to stay in Gairal, which is quiet and offers excellent sightings. A notice at Gairal (“Survivors will be prosecuted”) warns against swimming in the Ramganga because of gharials (a species of crocodile) that can kill human beings. Ramnagar, the headquarters of Project Tiger, is also a good place to stay. Jeeps can be hired from here for safaris into the Park, and accommodation is better than at Dhikala and Gairal.

Flora

Corbett National Park is rich in vegetation, with different kinds of trees and shrubs. The lower reaches of the Park, where the land is flat compared to the upper reaches, consists of tall and slender sal (Shorea robusta) trees. Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) and khair (Acacia katechu) trees are found in the middle reaches, while the upper reaches of the mountains are full of bakli (Anogeissus latifolia), chir (Pinus roxburghii), gurail (Bauhinia racemosa) and bamboo trees. The Park is dotted with lantana shrubs, a species that is a great cause for concern. Imported years ago from America, the lantana shrub ensures that nothing else grows near it. In the Park are 110 species of trees, 51 species of shrubs, and over 33 species of bamboo and grass that are mostly found in chowds, or meadows.


Fauna

Corbett National Park has more than 50 species of mammals, 585 species of birds and 25 species of reptiles, but the Park is known for its elephants and leopards, not its tigers. Many kinds of deer, namely chital (spotted deer), sambar (Indian stag), chinkara (Indian gazelle), pada (hog deer) and muntjac (barking deer) abound in the Park. Tiger sighting is rare, in spite of a lot of alarm calls from monkeys and deer. Elephant herds comprising tuskers, females and calves are commonly seen. However, an elephant herd with calves is perhaps the most dangerous encounter in the wild, for elephants are very possessive of their young and do not hesitate to charge at intruding human beings.

Leopard sighting is even rarer than that of the tiger, and these spotted cats confine themselves to the higher reaches of the Park. Other feline species found in the Park are leopard cats, jungle cats, the rare fishing cat, and caracal, to name a few. Sloth bears, wild boars, monkeys, dholes (wild dogs), jackals and ghorals (mountain goats) also inhabit the Park.

The aquatic reptile population in the Park consists of mugger (Crocodylus palustris) and gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) crocodiles, while Indian rock pythons, Russell’s vipers, cobras, king cobras and common kraits are some of the snakes found in the Park. Bird life includes parakeets, flycatchers, babblers, cuckoos, robins, bulbuls, Indian and Great Pied hornbills, warblers and finches, to name a few.


Safaris
Elephant safaris can be arranged in Dhikala and Bijrani.
Jeep safaris are available from outside the Park as well as from Dhikala. 86km from Nainital