Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park, which is a part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve, a Project Tiger Reserve lies in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The magical landscape of Corbett is well known and fabled for its tiger richness. Established in the year 1936 as Hailey National Park, Corbett has the glory of being India’s oldest and most prestigious National Park. It is also being honored as the place where Project Tiger was first launched in 1973. This unique tiger territory is best known as the father who gave birth to the Project Tiger in India to protect the most endangered species and the Royal of India called Tigers.

Spans over an extent of 520 square kilometers, its whole area comprises hills, marshy depressions, riverine belts, grasslands, and large lakes. It is among the few tiger reserves in India that allow overnight stays in the lap of the National Park. Nature watch and wildlife viewing in the park are done in an open four-wheeler Jeep and on an elephant’s back. Sheltering a healthy population of tigers and rare species like Otters and the endemic fish-eating crocodile, the national park is one of the most sought-after destinations for wildlife buffs. Dhikala, situated at the border of the extensive Patil Dun valley, is the most popular destination.

The Tourist Zones: In order to promote tourism in the region, Corbett National Park has been divided into five different zones. These are the marked buffer or core areas of the park where visitors can be part of a wildlife safari and can enjoy the intriguing behavior of the animals with bare eyes in proximity.

Bijrani Safari Zone: Bijrani Zone is a very popular tourist hub because of its abundant natural beauty and open grasslands. The entry gate of the zone is located only 01 Km from Ramnagar city.

Jhirna Safari Zone: Jhirna is another important tourist zone in the Jim Corbett National park that is open for tourists around the year. Jhirna Gate has located 16 km from Ramnagar city.

Dhela Safari Zone: Dhela is a new eco-tourism zone in Corbett National Park included in the tiger reserve zone in November 2014. This is the only area in the reserve’s buffer zone open to tourists in CTR. The zone is retaining the attention of a large number of tourists because of its wealthy flora and fauna, open throughout the year, located at an approximate distance of 13 Km from Ramnagar City.

Dhikala Zone: Being the largest and most jungle-safari varies zone in Corbett, Dhikala is famous for its abundant natural beauty as well as for offering the best sight for exotic fauna. The entry gate is 18 km away from Ramnagar city. Night stay inside the Dhikala Tourism Zone is highly recommended for hard-core wildlife enthusiasts.

Durga Devi Zone: Located on the north-eastern boundary of the Jim Corbett National Park, the Durga Devi zone is heaven on planet earth for those who are fond of bird watching. The entry gate is located at an approximate distance of 36 km from Ramnagar city.

Sitabani Buffer Zone: Sitabani Zone doesn’t fall under the Corbett Tiger Reserve area. If you are fond of the serene ambiance of the natural beauty, must visit the Sitabani area.

How to Reach Corbett:

Ramnagar is perhaps the best approach to the Corbett National Park which forms the headquarters of CTR. This small city is well connected by road and rail network with major cities of India like Delhi, Moradabad, Nainital, and Bareilly. Once you reach Ramnagar, then it takes only half an hour to reach Corbett National Park. The park is around 15 km from Ramnagar railway station.

By Road: Ramnagar has a very good network of roads that connects the different cities. The Corbett National Park is situated at an approximate surface distance of 260 Kilometers from India’s national capital Delhi. The state government of Uttarakhand plies buses at a short interval of time from Delhi, Moradabad, Haldwani, and Nainital that reaches Corbett directly.

By Rail: The railway station in Ramnagar receives trains from different major cities of India like Delhi, Moradabad, and Bareilly. A direct train to Ramnagar runs from Delhi. You can check out Ranikhet Express, Corbett Link Express, and Kathgodam Express which takes you directly to Ramnagar.

CLIMATE

Summer (March to September): 19°C-46°C | Winter (October to February): 2°C-30°C

Best Time to Visit: January to March & November to December

Safari Options: Jeep, Elephant, and Canter

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Jim Corbett National Park is home to around 50 mammals, 577 birds, and 25 reptiles.

Birds:

Species of Birds are divided into 5 categories in Jim Corbett National Park:

Water-birds and Waterside-birds:

Cattle Egret, Black Neck Storks, Cattle Egret, Darter, Grey Heron, Cormorants, Graylag Geese, Large Pied Wagtail, White-Capped Redstart, Sandpipers, Snipe, Great black-headed Gull. There are about 15 kinds of duck and a variety of wagtails.

Birds of Prey:

Himalayan Vulture, the peregrine falcon, booted hawk-eagle, steppe eagle, black eagle, osprey, Himalayan grey-headed fishing eagle, crested serpent eagle, black-winged eagle

Night Birds:

Fish owl, Stone curlew, Great stone plover, Jungle nightjar, Franklin’s nightjar, Scops owls

Woodland Birds:

Green Pigeons, Hornbills, Barbets, Orioles, Drongos, Peafowl, Parakeetam, Babblers, Thrushes, Red Junglefowl, White-crested kalij pheasant, Bulbus, Warblers, Tailor Bird, Robins, Chats, Redstarts, Bayas, Finches, Doves, Beasters, Open Ground Birds Black Partridge,

Air-Birds:

Indian Alpine Swift, Crested Swifts, the Dusky Crag Martin, Striated (or Red-rumpled) Swallows, the Indian Cliff Shallow, and the Wire-tailed Swallow

Mammals:

Barking deer, Sambar deer, Hog deer, Chital, Sloth, Himalayan black bears, Indian grey mongoose, otters, Yellow-throated martens, Himalayan goral, Indian pangolins, Langur and Rhesus macaques.

Fishes:

Prestine water of mountain streams in Jim Corbett National Park is home to multiple fish species namely Goonch (Bagarius bagarius), Indian trout (Barilius bola), Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora) and Rohu (Labeo rohita).

Reptiles:

Garial crocodile, Mugger crocodile, Indian Python, King Cobra, Indian Pythons, Monitor Lizard, Turtles, Cobra, Tortise, Russell’s Viper, Kraits

Flora:

One of the biggest claims of Jim Corbett National Park is its vegetation. Sal (Shorea robusta), Sheesam (Dalbergia sissoo), Kanju (Holoptelea integrifolia), Ber (Zizyphus Mauritians), Dhak (Butea monosperma), and Bael (Aegle Marmelos) are some of the trees which can be seen scattered in Jim Corbett National Park. Some of the grasses which can be seen in Jim Corbett National Park are Kansi, Themeda arundinacea, Baib or Bhabar, Narkul, Tiger Grass, Khus Khus, and Spear Grass