Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett National Park is a protected area in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, northern India. Set up in 1936, it is India's oldest national park, and it covers about 520 square kilometres of hills, river belts, grassland, marshy hollows and a large lake.

It is named after Jim Corbett, a naturalist and author who helped create it. It was the first park to come under Project Tiger, launched in 1973 to protect India's tigers. Rain falls from July to September. The park shelters about 50 mammal species and 580 bird species, but growing visitor numbers are a serious challenge for its balance of nature.

History

The area was once forest managed by the British forest department, which banned farming and cattle stations there in 1868. A reserve forest was created in 1879. In 1936 a reserve called Hailey National Park covering about 324 square kilometres was set up, and hunting was banned.

It was renamed Ramganga National Park in the 1950s, and then, in 1955-56, Corbett National Park in honour of the naturalist and author Jim Corbett.

Nature in the park

About 73 per cent of the park is dense moist deciduous forest, with sal, peepal and mango trees among 110 tree species. Grasslands make up about 10 per cent.

It shelters around 50 mammal species, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species. The park's height range is 400 to 1,220 metres. Growing tourism is a challenge for its natural balance.

On the globe

Find it on the globe in Uttarakhand at the foot of the Himalaya and zoom in to open its card.