About the Park
Corbett National Park is situated in the foothills of picturesque Kumaon Himalayas. Established in 1936 by the conservationist Jim Corbett, the park was earlier known as the Hailey National Park. The park is named after Jim Corbett, who had narrated many interesting stories of hunting down man-eating tigers, in his book 'The Man-Eaters of Kumaon.' Once the hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Rewa, Corbett is now a popular natural habitat for White Tigers. The park was renamed as Corbett National Park in 1957 and declared a Tiger Reserve in 1973. Considered as India's finest national park, Corbett national park is crossed by the river Ramganga. The park having a core area of 520 sq. Kms is essentially a low valley, which is flanked by a range of hills running east to west. The vegetation of the park mostly include deciduous forests, dominated by Sal and Chir Pine trees. The lower areas are covered by riverine forests, with Shisham and Khair trees.
Project Tiger in Corbett National Park
Project Tiger was initiated here at Dhikala on April 1, 1973 with the help of World Wildlife Fund. The project was started with the aim to save the Indian tigers from extinction. The Corbett National Park is best known for tigers, it is one of the few parks in India where the tigers can still be seen. Today around 50 tigers are resides in Corbet National Park. Undoubtedly the jewel of the Corbett is the Indian tiger, but it also provides shelter to endangered species, like the hog deer, rare Indian Pagolin and several other endangered species.
Entry
For foreigners, the entry fees in Rs 350 for first three days and Rs 75 for every additional day. Boarding and lodging charges are extra. Entry permits are required from the park administration in Ramnagar.
Major Wildlife Attractions
The species listed in the Corbett national park include 50 mammals, 582 bird species, 26 species of reptiles and 7 species of amphibians.
Wildlife : The national park is known for Indian tigers, in addition it provides shelter to several other animal species like Elephants, Deer, Sloth Bear, Himalayan Black Bear, Dhole, Jackal, Yellow Throated Martem, Himalayan Palm Civet, Indian Grey Mongoose, Common Otter, Porcupine and Clack-taped Hare. Reptiles which are found in this park are the Gharial, the rare Fish eating long - nosed Crocodile, Turtles, Tortoises, The Indian Python, Viper, Cobra, Krait and King Cobra etc.
Bird Species : The park is Birdlovers' Paradise as it houses more than 600 species of birds. The high altitude areas as well as plains attract a large number of migratory birds during winters. Some of the famous migratory birds arrived here are the Greylag, Bar-headed Goose, Duck, Grepe, Snipe, Sandpiper, Gull and Wagtail. The resident birds include Darters, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Black-necked Stork, Parakeets, Orioles, Babblers, Cuckoos, Doves, Rollers, Flycatchers, Warblers, Robins, Finches, Hornbills, Kingfishers and many many more.
Other Attractions
Jeep and Elephant Safari : Jeep Safari can be arranged at the Tourist Centre, which provide the close look of wild animals. Elephant Safari is another good option which can be taken in the early morning with an authorized mahout guide.
How to reach there
By Air : Phoolbagh (Pantnagar) is the nearest airport which is 50 kms from the park. Delhi (300 kms) is the nearest International airport.
By Rail : Nearest railhead is at Ramnagar, 50 kms. from the park. Ramnagar is connected to Delhi, Lucknow and Moradabad. From there one has to take road journey to reach the park.
By Road : The park is connected by good roads with Delhi (300 kms), Lucknow (145 kms), Ramnagar (50 kms) and other towns of Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh. Regualr buses ply between Dhikala and Ramnagar. One can also hire a taxi or car to reach Corbett.
Where to Stay
A wide array of accommodation facilities are available at Dhikala. The accommodation options available are forest rest houses, huts, tents and log hut dormitor
