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Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India and was established in
1936 as Hailey
National Park to
protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It is located in Nainital district and Pauri Garhwal district of
Uttarakhand and
was named after hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett. The park was the first to come under the Project
Tiger initiative.
Jim Corbett National Park comprises 520.8 km2 (201.1 sq mi) area of hills, riverine
belts,
marshy
depressions, grasslands
and a large lake. The elevation ranges from 1,300 to 4,000 ft (400 to 1,220 m). Winter nights are cold
but the days are
bright and sunny. It rains from July to September. The park has sub-Himalayan belt geographical and
ecological
characteristics. Dense moist deciduous forest mainly consists of sal, haldu, peepal, rohini and mango
trees. Forest
covers almost 73% of the park, while 10% of the area consists of grasslands. It houses around 110 tree
species, 50
species of mammals, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species.
An ecotourism destination, the park contains 488 different species of plants and a diverse variety of
fauna.The
increase in tourist activities, among other problems, continues to present a serious challenge to the
park's ecological
balance.
A total of 488 different species of plants have been recorded in the park. Tree density inside the reserve is higher in the areas of Sal forests and lowest in the Anogeissus-Acacia catechu forests. Total tree basal cover is greater in Sal dominated areas of woody vegetation. Healthy regeneration in sapling and seedling layers is occurring in the Mallotus philippensis, Jamun and Diospyros tomentosa communities, but in the Sal forests the regeneration of sapling and seedling is poor.
More than 586 species of resident and migratory birds have been categorised, including the crested
serpent eagle,
blossom-headed parakeet and the red junglefowl — ancestor of all domestic fowl. 33 species of reptiles,
seven species
of amphibians, seven species of fish and 36 species of dragonflies have also been recorded.
Bengal tigers, although plentiful, are not easily spotted due to the abundance of foliage - camouflage
- in the
reserve. Thick jungle, the Ramganga river and plentiful prey make this reserve an ideal habitat for
tigers who are
opportunistic feeders and prey upon a range of animals. The tigers in the park have been known to kill
much larger
animals such as buffalo and even elephant for food. The tigers prey upon the larger animals in rare
cases of food
shortage. There have been incidents of tigers attacking domestic animals in times of shortage of prey.
Leopards are found in hilly areas but may also venture into the low land jungles. Small cats in the
park include the
jungle cat, fishing cat and leopard cat. Other mammals include barking deer, sambar deer, hog deer and
chital, sloth
and Himalayan black bears, Indian grey mongoose, otters, yellow-throated martens, Himalayan goral,
Indian pangolins,
and langur and rhesus macaques. Owls and nightjars can be heard during the night.
In the summer, Indian elephants can be seen in herds of several hundred. The Indian python found in the
reserve is a
dangerous species, capable of killing a chital deer. Local crocodiles and gharials were saved from
extinction by
captive breeding programs that subsequently released crocodiles into the Ramganga river.
Corbett remains open to tourists from 15th November to 15th June. The main reason for closure of the Park during the rest of the year is that during the monsoons most of the roads get washed away. Repair work starts after the rains end and it is only by November that roads are back in motorable condition.
Corbett Tiger Reserve remains closed during the monsoons. The forest rest house also shut down from 15 june to 14 november. The Bijrani Zone remains closed for day visits from 30th June to 14th October. The Dhikala, Lohachaur and Sonanadi Tourism Zones are closed for day visits also from 16th June to 14th November. From 1st to 15th June, these ecotourism zones remains on standby mode and advance reservations are not done as during this time these zones can be shut down by Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve at short notice on considerations of visitor safety due to bad weather conditions.
jhirna ZoneThroughout the year
Dhikala Zone15th November to 15th June
Bijrani Zone01st October to 30th June
Sonanadi ZoneThroughout the year
Durga Devi Zone15th November to 15th June
| Entry | Exit |
| Morning Safari - 07:00 am | Morning Safari - 10:00 am |
| Evening Safari - 02:00 pm | Evening Safari - 05:30 pm |
| Entry | Exit |
| Morning Safari - 06:00 am | Morning Safari - 09:30 am |
| Evening Safari - 03:00 pm | Evening Safari - 06:30 pm |
A safari full of fun and thrill when the 4x4 vehicle moving with a max 6 persons accommodated. It runs on petrol which helps in making very less noise and is so the best medium to explore the wildlife silently.
Zones which can be explored by Gypsy are mentioned below.
Bijrani, Jhirna, Dhela, Durgadevi, Sitabani.
Timings:- Morning 6:00 AM - 9:30 AM | Evening 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Mandatory Inclusions:- Permission of CTR, Jeep, Driver, Permit and All Entries & Taxes. *Guide Fee to be paid by the guest on the spot directly.
This safari is full of fun and entertainment when the open bus moving with a full of persons seated inside the vehicle. It turns into more fun because you can have th sight of a longer distance as you are sitting on a height which lets you sea many migrating birds and many other animals at a distance place.
Zones which can be explored by Canter are mentioned below.
Only Dhikala.
Timings:- Morning 6:00 AM - 11:30 AM | Evening 12:00 PM - 5:30 PM
The town of Ramnagar forms the headquarters of Corbett Tiger Reserve. It is well connected to
important
places by road
and rail.
By Road: Ramnagar is connected by road to Delhi, Moradabad, Bareilly and
Naintial.
State transport
buses
ply regularly
from Delhi, Moradabad, Haldwani to Ramnagar. The approach routes are:
By Rail: A direct train to Ramnagar runs from New Delhi. Alternatively, one can
come
upto
Haldwani/Kashipur/Kathgodam
and come to Ramnagar by road.
Establishment year of Jim Corbett National Park: 1936
Corbett Area in square kms : 1288.32 sq. Kms
Corbett National Park : 520.82 sq. Kms
Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary : 301.18 sq. Kms
Reserve Forest : 466.32 sq. Kms
Altitude: 390-1190 m above sea level
Temperature range: 42°C during summer to 4°C in winter
Annual rainfall: 1420-2820 mm.
Main river in Jim Corbett National Park: Ramganga, Mandal, Palain, Sonanadi
