Corbett

One of the finest habitat of the tiger in India, the Corbett National Park nestles in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh, in the area known as South Patlidun. With its varied topography, diverse flora and fauna and the natural splendor of its landscapes the Park is a precious heritage.

Established in 1936, this reserve was known as the Hailey National Park. It was later renamed after Jim Corbett the famous hunter, author and pioneer conservationist who helped set up this wildlife sanctuary.

Extending over a tract of 520.8 sq. Km, the park is a large valley with forested ridges running through it. The magnificent Ramganga River winds through its entire length in a south - south westerly direction and the numerous forest streams and rivulets that flow into carve up the area into little ridges and ravines. Dense stands of sal and mixed deciduous forests are found throughout the Park while the ‘chaurs’ or the grasslands in the valleys - about one tenth of the core area, offer visitors a better view of the wildlife.

With elevations in the Park ranging from 400 meters to 1210 meters there is a rich diversity in habitat. Animals of the Himalayas and those of peninsular India can both be seen here and over 50 mammals and 25 reptile species have been recorded at Corbett. Among the predators are the tiger, leopard, diverse species of lesser cats and the dhole - the wild dog. There are antelopes (nilgai and ghoral) varieties of deer (hog deer, sambhar, chital or spotted deer and barking deer), the primates (rhesus and langur) and other animals like jackals, foxes, civets, wild boar, sloth bear, black bear and a range of reptiles including the cobra, python and two species of crocodile. The rare fish eating, long snouted gharial and the more robust mugger can be seen basking along the sand banks and pools of the Ramganga. The river which is also noted for its sporting fish, the mighty mahaseer and the malee is popular with anglers.

Corbett is most famous for its large cats, and in particular the tiger – this was the first designated Project Tiger Reserve, in 1973 – but its tigers are extremely elusive.

Sighting are very far from guaranteed, and should be regarded as an unlikely bonus. Nonetheless, although there have been problems elsewhere with the project, and the very survival of the tiger in India is in serious jeopardy, Corbett does at least seem to be prioritizing the needs of tigers over those of other wildlife – and of tourists – and claims to have poaching under control.

The park holds a great assortment of other animals. Large elephant herds have been confined within its boundaries since the construction of the Ramganga Reservoir blocked migratory routes that formerly ranged as far as Rajaji National Park, 200 kilometers west. The best place to see them in around the picturesque Dhikala Camp near the reservoir, especially in spring, when the water level drops and the animals have more space to roam. The reservoir shelters populations of gharial, a long snouted, fish-eating crocodile and maggar, a large marsh crocodile, and other reptiles. Jackal are common, and wild boar run through the camps in the evenings. The grasslands around Dikhala are home to deer species such as the spotted deer known as chital, hog deer and the larger sambar. Rhesus and common langur are both abundant, representing the two main classes of Indian monkeys. Bird life ranges from water birds such as the pied kingfisher to birds of prey, including the crested serpent eagle, Pallas’s fishing eagle and Himalayan greyheaded fishing eagle.

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