Call of the wild - Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park

State : Uttarakhand Area : 1,380 sq. km Altitude: 400 -1,210 m Vegetation : Moist & Tropical dry deciduous

Welcome to the magical “land of roar and trumpet”, the best place in India to see two of the countries’ most famous mega faunas – Royal Bengal Tigers and Asiatic Elephants in an abode of spectacular scenic beauty. With the Ramganga river flowing through the park and the golden grasslands and foothills rising all around, it unveils one of the most beautiful landscapes of the Indian National Parks. 

Corbett has landscapes that have few parallels anywhere in India. Dhikala’s vast grasslands, the wide riverbed of Ramaganga and the tall Sal trees never fail to create magical impressions for visitors. The grasslands are favoured by elephants and deer and provide shelter to many grassland birds like partridges. The presence of deer attracts tigers; hence, they are the best places to look for tigers. .

Jim Corbett, the hunter turned conservationist was instrumental in the establishment of “Corbett National Park” which was formerly known as the “Hailey National Park”. In 1955 this area was initially renamed “Ramganga National Park”. Later that year, after Jim’s demise, the park was re-established as the  “Corbett National Park” we see today

The topography is varied with hilly areas, riverine habitat, marshes, deep ravines and flat plateaux. Extensive forests of Sal cover almost 73% of the park in the lower hills and valleys. The Ramganga river enters from the northeast and flows through most of the park till it forms the Kalagarh reservoir created by a multipurpose hydroelectric dam, the largest earthen dam in Asia.

The Corbett Tiger Reserve boasts the distinction of the chosen venue for the inauguration of ‘Project Tiger’ in India. The rich biodiversity of the Reserve is largely attributed to the variety of habitat found here. The park’s location at the foothills of the Central Himalayas results in an abundance of both Himalayan and peninsular flora and fauna in the region. The recently concluded census by the Wildlife Institute of India records an increase in tiger numbers; there are currently 164 tigers in Corbett as compared to 132 in 2002. 

Main Attraction : Tigers, Elephants, Leopards, Crocodiles ( Mugger & Gharial), Hog Deer .

Avifauna : Home to more than 588 migratory and resident species of birds. Corbett’s rivers attract birds of prey like Pallas’ Fish Eagle and the rare Tawny Fish-owl. Other water dependent birds like kingfishers, cormorants, storks, terns, shanks, sandpipers, dippers, fork-tails also frequent the Park’s rivers. 

During winters many long-distance migrant birds throng the Ramganga reservoir. These are mainly storks, herons, sandpipers, plovers, waterfowl (ducks & geese) and ospreys. Winter migrants include the Greylag and the Bar-headed Goose, Great Crested Grebe, snipes, sandpipers, gulls and wagtails.