Corbett National Park, Utter Pradesh

             The most famous park for tiger, now rare throughout the India but saved from extinction by India's successful Project Tiger. Other wildlife include Chital and hogdeer, elephant. leopard, sloth bear and muntjac. There are numerous watchtowers, but only daylight photography is allowed. The park has magnificent scenery, from sal forest (giant, teak-like hardwood trees) to extensive river plains. The Ramganga River offers tranquil settings and good fishing. A bit touristy, but worth visit.

            This national wildlife reserve is named after a famous British hunter-- Jim Corbett. Corbett, who had written the famous book, The Man-Eaters of Kumaon was greatly revered by the local people for hunting down tigers that had developed a liking for human flesh. He was instrumental in setting up the reserve and eventually 'shot' more wildlife with his camera than with is gun.

Park Population :
            Corbett has the highest density of Tiger in the country-- approximately one every 10 sq km and it was here that the prestigious "Project Tiger" was launched in 1973. Four species of deer -- hog deer, sambar, chital and barking deer and other prey like the wild boar, are fodder for the tiger.

            Besides the tiger, Corbett is a haven for 50 mammals, 580 kinds of birds and 25 reptile species. The park has elephants, the Himalayan black bear in the higher elevations, sloth bear, varieties of lesser cats, dhole the wild dog and an entire spectrum of colourful birds including water birds, pheasants, jungle fowl and the Indian hornbill.

            Basking along the banks of the Ramganga are the slender snouted Gharial and the mugger or marsh crocodile. The river is rich in the magnificent mahaseer-- a fine sporting fish prized by anglers, though angling is not permitted inside the national park. Other varieties fish found here are the goonch and the brown trout.

Best Time to Visit :
            The Corbett park is from mid-November to mid-June. The park is open to visitors between November and June. The best time to visit depends upon the interest of the visitor -- summer is best for observing the larger mammals and winter, for water birds.

Accommodation :
            There are many accommodation facilities at Ramnagar as well as at the Corbett National park. Being one of the most frequently visited parks in the country, the forest department and other agencies have their hotels, lodges, rest houses, log huts for the visitors.

            Forest rest houses, log huts etc at Dhikala, forest rest houses at Sarapduli, Bijrani, Ghairal offer some of the best stay in the region. There are many resorts along the periphery of the park which take the load off the governments accommodation facilities. To stay at the government hotels, rest houses etc make sure that reservations are done well in advance as the pressure is really high during the tourist seasons.

Getting There :
            The nearest airport to the Corbett park is the Pantnagar airport. The nearest railhead is that of Ramnagar. It is 51 kms from Dhikala. Entry to the forest is just outside Ramnagar. Ramnagar is on the Moradabad - Ramanagar branch line. Again from Ramanagar one has to take the road to access the park.
            Ramnagar, headquarters of Project Tiger is an obligatory point for going to the park. Here, besides regular bus services, govt. mini buses are also available.

For More Information :

• Field Director,
  Project Tiger,
  Corbett National Park,
  Ramnagar, Dist. Nainital,
  Uttar Pradesh (India) - 244715.

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