Corbett national park - AT A GLANCE

Corbett National Park lies in two districts – Nainital and Pauri – in the hill state of Uttaranchal in northern India. It covers an area of 521 sq. km and together with the neighbouring Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve Forest areas, forms the Corbett Tiger Reserve over 1288 sq. km.

Its geographical location between the Himalayas and the Terai, and the streams, rivers and ridges crisscrossing the terrain, present Corbett with a remarkable variety of landscapes.

For the survival of such a remarkable gamut of floral and faunal species in Corbett National Park, water is a crucial factor. The Ramganga river forms the most prominent hydrological resource, supplemented by tributaries, most prominent of which are the Sonanadi, Mandal and Palain rivers. The river Kosi runs proximate to the Park and is also a significant water resource for nearby areas..

About “Sir Jim Corbett”

Most people know Jim Corbett from his writings as a famous hunter who became the nemesis of many notorious man-eaters. The lucid accounts of his exploits that he has given in his books generate as much excitement in people’s mind as they did when they were written. But besides being an articulate writer and accomplished hunter, Jim was a naturalist and conservationist, and a humble man.

A true son-of-the-soil, Jim was born in Nainital on 25th July, 1875. He grew up in Kaladhungi and Nainital, spending much of his childhood exploring the wilderness that lay around. It was here that he developed a deep knowledge of the way of the jungle.

At an early age Jim was faced with the responsibility of supporting his family of six mnembers so he took up a job with the Railways. This was followed by a stint in the Army in World War-I. Afterwards, Jim, a confirmed bachelor, lived in Kaladhungi and Nainital with his sister, Maggie. This was the period when he was summoned many-a-time by villagers and the government to get rid of man-eating tigers or leopards.

But more than a hunter Jim was a wonderful naturalist. He had an excellent observation, was fleet-footed, and had great stamina. While moving in the forests he put all his senses – sight, hearing, smelling and unparalleled knowledge of the tract – to intelligent use. This way he could read the signs of the forests and predict movement of wildlife.

Jim was also a pioneer conservationist and was responsible for demarcating the area for the present-day Corbett National Park. He remained an active member of many wildlife preservation organisations and helped popularise natural history through his writing.

Not many people know that Jim was also an avid photographer and film-maker. He was one of the first persons to capture Indian wildlife on motion film and during his career obtained some rare and interesting footage. Unlike most other Britishers living in India, Jim blended well with the local populace. He ate their food, spoke their language, lived with them, and was sensitive to their culture and religious beliefs.

However, soon after Independence he distributed his land and property to his associates and migrated to Kenya, where he spent the rest of his life.

Jim’s house at Kaladhungi, 28 km from Corbett National Park on the motorway to Nainital, is now a museum that attracts many of his admirers from far and wide. This museum is managed under theUttaranchal Forest Department by Corbett Tiger Reserve.

Even in these times Jim Corbett continues to create a fascination for Nature and all things wild. Jim’s legacy lives on through his books, articles, films, and in the National Park named in his honour.

ELEPHANTS

The elephant, largest of the land mammals, has been an integral part of the history, mythology, tradition, culture and religion of India. There are three surviving species of elephants in the world, one in Asia and two in Africa. Elephants are notable for their remarkable intelligence and a sharp memory. This is because elephants have the largest brains in the animal kingdom. Males have tusks and such elephants are commonly called “tuskers”. There are also some tuskless males, called “makhnas”. Corbett Tiger Reserve has about 700 Asian elephants. They are part of the migratory population that also lives in Rajaji National Park. Earlier, there were much fewer elephants in Corbett but their population in the park has increased significantly in recent decades. Although, present throughout the Park, elephants are most easily sighted in Dhikala chaur, Phulai chaur, and near the Saddle Dam.

BIRDS

The great variety of habitat in Corbett is reflected in its impressive diversity in the bird life. Over 600 species, many of them rare and endangered, have been recorded in and around the park. these include nearly fifty kinds of birds of prey that provide a unique character to the avifauna. This inherent richness in bird life increases even further during winter with the arrival of numerous migrants – some, like osprey and ducks, coming all the way from East Africa, Europe and Central Asia. Winter also brings many Himalayan birds from higher regions who come to take refuge in Corbett to escape the extreme conditions in the mountains above. These include many flycatchers, great barbet and the wallcreeper.

TIGERS

CNP is one of the most congested park in India with a ratio of 1 Tiger of every 5 acres. CNP is famous as the land of roar, trumpet and song. CTR has always been known for its tigers. CTR today holds probably the second largest population of living Tigers in the world. Tiger is an important member of carnivores once dominated all over South East Asia. The predating style of Tiger is worth observation, unbelievable indeed, as on can encounter slowest possible slow motion to fastest possible fast. Swimming excellence of Tiger is an exclusive edge.

Tiger habitat determine their social organization in areas. The Tiger male demarcates their territory with urine spray on prominent tree on their boundaries, recognized by other Tigers.
A Tiger is not only an intelligent mother but also a devoted mother as it brings up its cubs with great effort and care. Until the cubs grow three months old they are not allowed to tail the mother and food is made available to them. This care is available for 1-2 years of these cubs.
Tiger male never loves with their cubs, they even kill half grow cubs. They also kill leopards to auto regulate their population. Tiger is very active and with heavy weight carnivore. Tiger has so many dark black color lines in their whole body, which is suitable to wildlife. Tiger is able to consume 25-26 kg. food per day, but it usually eats 5 kg. Tiger never like to entrance of any other carnivores in their areas. Tiger walked around 25-30 km. in a night. Tiger have developed sense of hearing.

FLORA & FAUNA

The different habitat types of Corbett i.e. mountains, sal forests, chaurs, khair-sissoo forests, and rivers have their distinct assemblage of plants. More than 600 species of trees, shrubs, herbs, bamboos, grasses, climbers and ferns have been identified in the Park.

The tiger is perhaps the most celebrated of the wild animals of India. It is symbolises the power of Nature and finds an important place in our culture, mythology and legends. It has been worshiped as the guardian and ruler of the forest.

OTHER MAMMALS

The Leopard is the other large cat found in Corbett. Compared to the tiger leopards are smaller, more graceful and have a long agile body that has rosettes instead of stripes. It also has the ability to limb trees.

Hanuman or Common Langur has an unmistakable appearance - a light body, dark face and a very long tail. It is considered to be sacred in many parts of India and is found in many environments, from desert edge to forests.

Himalayan Goral or Ghural is a goat-like animal that occurs in the Himalayas between 1,000 to 4,000 m.

Wild boar is the ancestor of the domesticated pig that lives in moist forests and scrub. It has long, curved canine teeth (called tusks) that are used for digging food and as weapons.

The Asiatic Jackal is a member of the dog family. It is found in open country, short grasslands and has also adapted to living near human settlements.

Gharial and Mugger Corbett has two of India’s three crocodilian species. It is considered to be one of the best spots to see the Gharial, one of the largest and most endangered crocodilians of the world. It is found only in the Indian subcontinent. It gets its name from the ‘ghara’ or pot like structure on the snout that is present only in males. About 100 gharials live in the Ramganga and can be seen swimming in its deep pools or basking in the sun on its banks. These were released as part of the conservation programme for gharials. Though it has been saved from extinction, the gharial is still critically endangered. The main threats are – loss of habitat (fast-flowing rivers) and nesting sites (sandbanks) due to construction of dams and barrages which changes the flowage of water and exploitation of fish by humans (depletion of prey species). The still waters of Corbett, especially the Ramganga reservoir, are home to the Mugger crocodile. Muggers are more general carnivores and take a variety of animals as food. Muggers are also found in Nakatal, Corbett’s only lake.

Mahseer and other Fishes

Corbett is home to many species of freshwater fish. The most celebrated of the fishes is the Golden Mahseer, a large freshwater river fish belonging to the carp family. The Ramganga is one of the best-preserved rivers for mahseer in India. Other important fish species of Corbett are Goonch, Indian trout and Rohu sustainable angling, as opposed to intensive fishing, benefits conservation of prized fishes like mahseer. Angling is allowed in certain areas in the buffer region of Corbett after taking permits from the Forest Department.

Herpetofauna

Reptiles live in a great variety of habitats. But apart from the gharial and mugger the other reptiles of Corbett have not been studied in great detail. Several species of snakes have been reported from here, including the King Cobra and Indian Cobra. Indian Rock Pythons are frequently sighted and there also exist several kinds of vipers, kraits and boas.The Bengal Monitor is the most imposing of Corbett’s lizards.

Deer

Corbett has four species of deer. They are the most frequently sighted large mammals in the Park. Chital or Spotted deer is the commonest of deer species of Corbett. Chital are ecologically important because they form an important prey base for carnivores like leopards and tigers. They also help in dispersal of plant seeds including grasses and also tree and shrub species like amla, ber, etc.

Para or Hog Deer is the rarest of Corbett’s deer. It is closely related to the chital but is smaller in size. Sambar is the largest deer found in Corbett. Its body is largely a uniform greyish-brown in colour, except for the creamy white on the backsides and under-tail areas.

Sambar is the most important prey species for the tiger and presence of sambar usually indicates a good tiger habitat.

Kakar or Barking Deer is the smallest of Corbett’s deer. The body colour is golden tan on the dorsal (upper) side and is lighter on the undersides. Kakar emit a typical dog-like alarm “bark” when they sense the presence of a predator. Barking may carry on continuously for up to an hour. They are active both during daytime and at night. They are a prey for tigers, leopards, jackals and pythons.