Corbett National Park
Corbett National Park is one of the best wildlife reserves in Asia, famous for
its wide variety of wildlife and its beautiful location. The highlight of any
visit is an elephant safari into the jungles and grasslands looking for tiger
or a herd of wild elephants.
Spread over 520 sq km Corbett is characterised by dense forest interspersed
with broad open grasslands (called "chaurs") and the ever present
river Ramganga, winding its sinous way through the sanctuary - ideal country
for the tiger and its natural prey.
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.
Prime Attractions of the Corbett National Park :
» 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.
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. Tiger sighting is rare, in spite of a lot of alarm calls
from monkeys and deer. 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.
» Other Wildlife Attractions - 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, to name a few.
General Information Tips :
Access : 86km from Nainital 297km from Delhi
Altitude : 400-1,200m
Temperature : Min 40 deg C, max 42oC
Area : 350sq km core, 150sq km buffer
Below are the official prices for foreign tourists:
» Entry fee/person (valid 2 nights) : Rs 350
» Jeep Entry fee : Rs 100
» Movie Camera : Rs 5,000
» Still Camera free
» Nature Guide/Jeep (upto 4 hours) : Rs 100
» Elephant Ride at Dhikla (aprox 2 hours) : Rs 100
» Dorm accommodation/night at Dhikala : Rs 100
Getting There :
Air : The nearest airport is a small airport at Phoolbagh,
Pantnagar, 51 km away.
Rail : The closest station is at Ramnager, 21 kms distant.
Ranikhet Express, which leaves the Old Delhi Railway Station at night, is convenient
as it reaches Ramnagar early next morning.
Road : Access to the park is from Ramnagar and buses are
available to Dhikala in the park. Taxis can also be hired here. It is also feasible
to drive down from New Delhi. The 300-km drive takes six hours, is extremely
picturesque and gives glimpses of various regions of Uttar Pradesh from the
most industrialised to the agricultural and the remote. Buses run from New Delhi
to Ramnagar but unless it is a luxury bus the ride can be extremely uncomfortable.
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