Jim Corbett National Park
In the wilderness
The Jim Corbett National Park is situated in the Himalayan foothills, amidst forested mountains that range from 400m to 1,210m in height. Through most of the National Park flows the Ramganga River. It is said that a community lived on the banks of this river in ancient times. It is believed that these people cleared away a tiny part of the forest, and made the area their home. Evidence in the form of terracotta figurines and ruined temples further corroborate the fact that the Ramganga Valley was home to an ancient civilization.
The National Park has geographical and ecological characteristics of the sub-Himalayan belt. 488 different species of plants and a diverse variety of fauna is what this eco-tourism Park boasts of. Sadly, this rich ecosystem is under threat today as human activity threatens to throw the natural order of life out of balance.
The National Park houses around 110 tree species, 50 species of mammals, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species. The endangered Bengal tiger of India resides here. Dense moist deciduous forests mainly consist of sal, haldu, pipal, rohini and mango trees, and these trees cover almost 73 per cent of the National Park. 10 per cent of the area consists of grasslands.
Timeline
1936 - The National Park was established and named after the Governor of the United Provinces, Sir Malcolm Hailey, as the Hailey National Park.
1952 - Name of the National Park was changed to Ramganga National Park.
1957 - The National Park was renamed yet again, this time after Jim Corbett, the famed hunter-author-photographer-naturalist.
1973 - Corbett National Park became the venue from where 'Project Tiger' was launched on April 1, 1973. Project Tiger has been one of the most successful conservation ventures aiming at tiger conservation in tiger reserves.
Did you know?
- Famous for the numerous books he had written on the subjects of naturalism and eco-conservation, Jim Corbett has been made immortal through his works like the Man-Eaters of Kumaon (1944), The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag and the Temple Tiger and More Man-Eaters of Kumaon (1954). Jungle Lore, written by Corbett is considered to be one of the most notable autobiographical works in English Literature.
- Corbett also has a wide variety of avifauna: The Laughing Thrush, Kingfisher, Long-tailed Broadbill, Oriole, Parakeet and Kaleej are only a handful of the over 300 species of birds you can see and hear in this park.
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