History
In the foothills of the Kumaon Himalayas, close to Ramnagar, lies the Corbett National Park. The first Reserve forest of its kind, the park was established in 1936- when it was known as the Hailey National Park- mainly through the efforts of Jim Corbett, the conservationist. Corbett lived throughout his childhood in the area of Kaladhungi between Nainital and Ramnagar. He had a deep insight into the ecology of the area, and in later years he was called upon by the locals to shoot down man-eating leopards and tigers that stalked the villages. Locally referred to as "Carpet Sahib", he turned to photography and writing, authoring books on wildlife, like "My India", "Jungle Lore" and "Man-eaters of Kumaon".
Stretching over 520 sq km with a core area of 330 sq km, the Corbett National Park was the first to be designated a Project Tiger Reserve in 1973. Situated at a distance of 260 kms from Delhi and 128 kms from Nainital, the Corbett National Park is best known for its big cats, especially the tiger. Despite the efforts of conservationists, the tiger population of India is dwindling rapidly, and Corbett National Park is one of the few parks where the tiger can still be seen. There are around 50 tigers in Corbett, besides other wildlife like leopards, several lesser cats, the wild dog, porcupines, jackals, civets, sloth bear, black bear, wild boar and a few hundred elephants.
Stretching over 520 sq km with a core area of 330 sq km, the Corbett National Park consists of mixed deciduous and sal forests and stretches of savannah grasslands where antelope, chital, hog deer and sambar graze. The Rhesus monkey and common langur are ubiquitous, while the long-snouted gharial, marsh crocodile, cobras and pythons can be seen on the mud banks of the Ramganga. The Ramganga reservoir, in the main Dhikala camp area of the park, has over 600 species of birds, including the pied kingfisher, crested serpent eagle, fishing eagle and Himalayan grey headed fishing eagle. The river is also home to the famous river carp mahseer, a favourite catch for anglers.
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Best time to visit
The Corbett National Park is out of bounds during the monsoons- usually from about June 16th till November 14th. Once the park reopens after the rains, the best time to visit is between January and mid-June. In the winter months from December till February the Ramganga reservoir is full of migratory birds. Summer is the best season to view wildlife, especially the tiger, that come out of the deep forests for water.
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