Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve

Jim Corbett National Park (The land of Roars, Trumpets and Songs)

Jim Corbett National Park is one of the finest tiger reserves of India which has always fascinated the wildlife enthusiast from India and abroad.

The significance of biodiversity and wildlife of the area which now comprises Corbett national park was recognized long time back, which can be understood by the fact that Jim Corbett National Park (created in 1936) was the first National Park not only in India but also in the mainland Asia. The park was initially named Hailey National Park (with area of only 325 sq. km.) but after the end of British rule in India the name was changed in 1954 to Ramganaga National Park- after the river which is the life line of reserve. The National Park was again named to Jim Corbett National Park in 1956, after the death of Jim Corbett- in memory of the noted hunter turned conservationist of the area. On April 1, 1973, Project tiger was launched at Dhikala with the help of WWF and Corbett was one of the 8 original tiger reserves, today there are 48.

Corbett Tiger Reserve ( area of 1288.32 Sq Km) spreads over three districts of Uttarakhand i.e., Pauri, Nainital and Almora. It comprises of Corbett National Park ( area of 520.82 Sq Km), Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary in the NW (area of 301.18 Sq Km) and Buffer forest (area of 466.32 Sq Km). Geographically it is located between the Shiwalik Hills and the Terai of Himalayas. The habitat of Corbett national park comprises of hills, marshy depressions, riverine belts, grasslands and large lakes.

It has a healthy habitat of not only one of the largest populations of Royal Bengal tiger but also good population of other charismatic species like elephants and leopard as well as rare species like Otters and the Ghariyal. The Corbett Tiger Reserve is one of the most sought after destinations for the wildlife enthusiasts and during the year 2014 around 2.5 lakh tourists visited the tiger reserve, the highest among all protected areas in India. It is home to approximately 110 tree species, 50 mammal species and 25 reptile species. In addition with over 550 species of birds (including over 50 species of raptors) Corbett is one of the richest bird regions of the Country and has been declared as an ‘Important Bird Area’ (IBA) by Birdlife International.

The Tourist Zones of Corbett:

In order to promote and regulate tourism in the tiger reserve, Corbett National Park has been divided into six different zones. The visitors are allowed in these zones as per the carrying capacity of the Park and every day a limited number of vehicles/visitors are allowed inside the Park. Following are the tourist zones within Corbett:

Bijrani Zone : Bijrani Zone is amongst the most popular tourist’s zone for its natural beauty and open grasslands . The entry gate of the zone is Aamdanda which is located merely 02Km from Ramnagar town. This zone remains open from 15th October to 15th June for tourism.

Dhela Zone : Dhela is a new tourism zone in Corbett National Park , opened for visitors only in November 2014. This is the only area in the reserve’s buffer zone open to tourism in CTR and it remains open throughout the year . The entry gate of this zone is Dhela , located at a distance of around 16 km from Ramnagar town .

Dhikala Zone : Dhikala is the place where Project tiger was born in 1973, and is characterised by large grasslands and reservoir on the Ramganga river. The entry gate of this zone is Dhangarhi which is located around 18 km away from Ramnagar town. The park remains open for tourism from 15th November to 15th June. Large herds of elephants and spotted deer in addition to hog deer can be seen here. Its also famous for its water fauna including crocodiles, otters and large shoals of Golden Mahseer fish.

Durga Devi Zone : Located on the north-eastern boundary of the Jim Corbett National Park, Durga Devi zone is characterised by its high elevation and hilly terrains. The entry gate of this zone is located around 30 km from Ramnagar town. The park remains open for tourism from 15th November to 15th June. It’s one of the best places for bird watching and angling.

Jhirna Zone : Jhirna zone is characterized by one of the richest biodiversity in Corbett landscape owing to its location in Terai of Himalayas. The entry Gate of this zone is Dhela which is located around 16 km from Ramnagar city. The zone remains open throughout the year for tourism.

Sonandi Zone: Sonanadi zone falls on Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary which is a part of Corbett Tiger Reserve. This is the only zone in Jim Corbett where tourists can walk on foot but richly housed by non-venomous/ venomous snakes of different kinds. This zone remains open for tourist throughout the year though the best time to visit is between November to April. The sanctuary is located in the North Western region of Jim Corbett National Park and the entry gate for this zone is Vatanvasa.

Other Places of attraction around Corbett

Pawalgarh Conservation reserve: Pawalgarh Conservation reserve is a virgin forest with little human disturbance. This picturesque and pristine reserve forest is located around 20 kms from Ramnagar on the Ramnagar-Haldwani Highway and on the natural course of the river Dabka and river kosi. The entry gate to this tiger reserve is Pawalgarh. It was recently notified as Conservation reserve and houses around 46 tigers besides other charismatic species like leopards, elephants and around 350 species of birds.

Sitabani Zone : Sitabani Zone is one of the most popular wildlife safari zone outside of the Corbett tiger reserve area. It is a part of Ramnagar reserve forest and it remains open throughout the year. The entry gate is located around 2 km from the Ramnagar town .

Sitabani Temple: Located around 20 kms away from the Ramnagar town in the middle of dense forest, this famous temple of goddess Sita can be approached by an SUV.

Garjiya Devi Temple: This temple is located on an island on the river koshi within the Jim Corbett National Park. The deity goddess of this temple is Girija Mata (an awatar of goddess Parwati) , and is also famous for an ancient statue (around 1000 years old) of Narayan and Laxhmi. The temple is situated around 14 km from Ramnagar town on the Ramnagar Ranikhet road.

Corbett Museum: Corbett Museum is located in kaladhungi at Chhoti Haldwani village, the village of Jim Corbett and used to be the ancestral house of Jim Corbett. It is located on Ramnagar Haldwani road around 36 KMs from Ramnagar.

Dhangari Museum: Located at the entrance of dhikala Zone, at Dhangari Museum you can witness the history of National Park.
Corbett Water Fall: Corbett waterfall is another major attraction for tourists , located amidst wilderness at a distance of around 25 km away from Ramnagar.