Corbett National Park Sight
Seeing
One of the finest habitat of the tiger in India,
the Corbett National Park nestles in the foothills of
the Himalayas in Uttar Pradesh, in the area known
as South Patlidun. With its varied topography, diverse
flora and fauna and the natural splendor of its landscapes
the Park is a precious heritage.
Established in 1936, this reserve
was known as the Hailey National Park. It was later renamed
after Jim Corbett the famous hunter, author and pioneer
conservationist who helped set up this wildlife sanctuary.
Extending over a tract of 520.8 sq.
Km, the park is a large valley with forested ridges running
through it. The magnificent Ramganga River winds through
its entire length in a south - south westerly direction
and the numerous forest streams and rivulets that flow
into carve up the area into little ridges and ravines.
Dense stands of sal and mixed deciduous forests are found
throughout the Park while the ‘chaurs’ or the grasslands
in the valleys - about one tenth of the core area, offer
visitors a better view of the wildlife.
With elevations in the Park ranging
from 400 meters to 1210 meters there is a rich diversity
in habitat. Animals of the Himalayas and those of peninsular
India can both be seen here and over 50 mammals and 25
reptile species have been recorded at Corbett. Among the
predators are the tiger, leopard, diverse species of lesser
cats and the dhole - the wild dog. There are antelopes
(nilgai and ghoral) varieties of deer (hog deer, sambhar,
chital or spotted deer and barking deer), the primates
(rhesus and langur) and other animals like jackals, foxes,
civets, wild boar, sloth bear, black bear and a range
of reptiles including the cobra, python and two species
of crocodile. The rare fish eating, long snouted gharial
and the more robust mugger can be seen basking along the
sand banks and pools of the Ramganga. The river which
is also noted for its sporting fish, the mighty mahaseer
and the malee is popular with anglers.
Corbett is most famous for
its large cats, and in particular the tiger –
this was the first designated Project Tiger Reserve, in
1973 – but its tigers are extremely elusive.
Sighting are very far from
guaranteed, and should be regarded as an unlikely
bonus. Nonetheless, although there have been problems
elsewhere with the project, and the very survival of the
tiger in India is in serious jeopardy, Corbett does at
least seem to be prioritizing the needs of tigers over
those of other wildlife – and of tourists – and claims
to have poaching under control.
The park holds a great assortment
of other animals. Large elephant herds have been
confined within its boundaries since the construction
of the Ramganga Reservoir blocked migratory routes that
formerly ranged as far as Rajaji National Park, 200 kilometers
west. The best place to see them in around the picturesque
Dhikala Camp near the reservoir, especially in spring,
when the water level drops and the animals have more space
to roam. The reservoir shelters populations of gharial,
a long snouted, fish-eating crocodile and maggar, a large
marsh crocodile, and other reptiles. Jackal are common,
and wild boar run through the camps in the evenings. The
grasslands around Dikhala are home to deer species such
as the spotted deer known as chital, hog deer and the
larger sambar. Rhesus and common langur are both abundant,
representing the two main classes of Indian monkeys. Bird
life ranges from water birds such as the pied kingfisher
to birds of prey, including the crested serpent eagle,
Pallas’s fishing eagle and Himalayan greyheaded fishing
eagle.
For more details, please contact
Countrywide Holidays Pvt. Ltd.
