Corbett
National Park Facts& Figures:
Area 600 sq km (core area of
322 km)
Altitude 400 - 1200 meter above
the sea level
 Jim Corbett the
oldest park in India,
extends along the banks of
the Ramganga river, encompassing
the dense Sal Forests of the
Himalayan foothills &
the Savannah vegetation of
tall grassy meadows. Jim Corbett
National Park India had the
proud distinction of being
chosen as the venue for the
inauguration of Project Tiger
in India; earlier part of
Uttar Pradesh now comes under
Uttaranchal, the newly found
state.
TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS
 The
main feature of this ridged
valley is the Ramganga River,
running broadly west by south
west, the catchment streams
of which vivisect the land
into numerous little ridges
and ravines. The topography
is therefore very varied-the
streams forming islands of
'sheesham' trees, the ridges
being thickly foliated with
'sal' trees and the pastures
carrying long grasses. In
this variety of habitat abounds
wildlife of enchanting beauty
including 50 mammals, 577
birds and at least 25 reptiles.
The river teems with mahseer,
gharial, mugger and flocks
of cormorants.
Project
Tiger was inaugurated
here on April 1, 1973. The
center of tourist activity
in the park always continues
to be Dhikala, at the heart
of the core area. Here, substantial
residential accommodation
has been built along one end
of a large grassy plateau
perched on the edge of the
cliff bordering the Ramganga
reservoir.
PLACES AROUND CORBETT
NATIONAL PARK
In the vicinity
of the Corbett National Park
are the wildlife sanctuaries
like Rajaji National Park
and Dudhwa National Park.
Lucknow is the capital of
Uttar Pradesh and one of the
major tourist destinations
in the country.
Flora
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. 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.
Fauna
 Corbett
National Park has more than
50 species of mammals, 585
species of birds and 25 species
of reptiles, but the Park
is known for its elephants
and leopards, not its tigers.
Many kinds of deer, namely
chital (spotted deer), sambar
(Indian stag), chinkara (Indian
gazelle), pada (hog deer)
and muntjac (barking deer)
abound in the Park. Elephant
herds comprising tuskers,
females and calves are commonly
seen. However, an elephant
herd with calves is perhaps
the most dangerous encounter
in the wild, for elephants
are very possessive of their
young and do not hesitate
to charge at intruding human
beings.
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 caracal,
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, Russell’s 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...
Safari
Elephant Safari can be arranged
in Dhikala and Bijrani. Jeep
Safari are available from
outside the Park as well as
from Dhikala
HOW TO REACH
BY AIR -
Phoolbagh, Pantnagar at a
distance of 50 km is the nearest
airport. Delhi at a distance
of 300 km is the nearest international
airport.
BY RAIL -
Ramnagar is on the broad gauge
track from where the road
transport options have to
be availed to reach the park.
BY ROAD -
Dhikala is 300 km from Delhi,
145 km from Lucknow and 51
km from Ramnagar. The route
from Delhi spans Hapur-Murababad-Ramnagar.
The turn off is some 7 km
beyond Muradabad to the left,
marked by a small board. The
route from Lucknow spans Bareilly-Kichha-Rudrapur-Doraha-Kashipur.
BEST TIME
TO VISIT
As with the rest of the country,
there are three well-defined
seasons at the Corbett National
Park-winter from November
to February, summer from March
to June and the rainy season
the rest of the year. Corbett
is closed for public from
June 15 to November 15. |
