Corbett Park

Corbett National Park, got its name in 1957 after Jim Corbett, the famous naturalist and photographer. This is India’s first national park and beyond doubt the most attractive Park in India. The Park is located in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the midst of lush greenery and uneven mountains with varying heights, ranging from about 1300 feet to nearly 4000 feet.

The main attraction of tourists and wildlife enthusiasts to this Park is that the majestic view of Tiger with all its wildness in this Park. This park is a natural habitat of the rare species of Tigers that are facing extinction and wealthy flora and fauna with variety of wild animals, birds which makes it a heaven for bird watchers. It is a place that draws huge tourist inflow and offers excellent sightseeing.

If one is interested he can indulge lively with deer, spotted in Corbett National Park, barking deer, spotted deer, sambar, chinkara are some of the different kinds of species seen in the Park. Another major attraction here is the aquatic reptiles; different kinds of crocodiles can be spotted here. Corbett National Park is really a worth natural park to visit, to see the nature’s varieties and beauty. This is a park first among equals.

History of Jim Corbett National Park:
Being the oldest national park in India the Corbett National Park holds a vast and gripping history that dilates the princely state of Tehri Garhwal. The British, after evicting the Boksas tribe in the early 1860s, embarked on preserving the forest against cultivation and cattle farming. Later in 1879 the forests were constituted into a Reserve Forest and in the early 1900s the idea of setting up a national park on the territory was fed back. The process of setting the boundary was led by Sir Jim Corbett in the year 1936 and a part was named as Hailey National Park, covering an area of 323.75 sq kms boasting Asia’s first national park and one of the tiger reserves. After the independence the park was renamed as Ramganga National Park and there again the name Corbett National Park was assigned in the period 1955-56. In 1974 the rich and wild ecosphere was picked out as a location for launching Project Tiger. Later in the 20th century the process of demarcation was initialized, owing to Corbett Tiger Reserve, by adding the entire Kalagarh forest division that also includes the area of Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary. Today the Jim Corbett National Park comprises an area of 1,318.54 square kilometres including 520 square kilometres of core area and 797.72 square kilometres of buffer area and is one of the thirteen protected areas covered by World Wildlife Fund under their Terai Arc Landscape Programme.

Safari Zones:
For the travellers, 797.72 square kilometres of buffer area within the Corbett National Park is open to explore and is divided into five zones that includes Dhikala, Jhirna, Bijrani, Sonanadi and Domunda. Amongst them Bijrani, Jhirna, Sonanadi and Domunda comes within the Jeep safari Zone whereas Canter Safari Zone only covers Dhikala Zone. The Jeep Safari Zones are open to travellers from 01st of October whereas the Canter Zone is open from 15th of November. Most of the areas within the park are closed from 15th of June to 30th September.