An Insight :
The Corbett National Park is a primal jungle as Rudyard Kipling put it.
Despite extensive tourism, the park has managed to retain its primeval
ambience, where man must walk timorously, in awe and with a strong sense of
his own insignificance.
The Park is named after the famous hunter and naturalist, Jim Corbett, who
popularised this land and its animals in his book "The Man-Eaters of
Kumaon". Corbett recounts many fascinating tales of hunting down
man-eating tigers. Always a nature lover, he helped set up a sanctuary
called Hailey Park in 1936. Eventually, an all India initiative for the
protection of the Tiger was launched from here. The park has a high density
of tiger population. The park spans almost 920 square kms, at an altitude of
600 to 1100 metres in the foothills of the western Himalayas, in the state
of Uttaranchal (formerly part of Uttar Pradesh). In its eventful 64-year
life, it has grown considerably in size and now includes the Sonanadi
Wildlife Sanctuary as a part of its 1,319 sq km of reserved forest area.
Lets Explore Corbett :
» Flora & Fauna - 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.
Other Wildlife Attractions in Corbett :
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 Caracalla, 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, Russells 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.
Where is Corbett?
» By Air - The nearest airport is Delhi, 300 kms
away.
» By Rail - The nearest station is Ramnager, 21 kms
away. Ramnagar is by overnight train from Delhi.
» By Road - Corbett is located 300 kms from Delhi.
