Corbett National Park History

Corbett National park as the oldest National park Of India. was established in 1936 as Hailey National park to protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It is located in Nainital district of uttrakhand. It was named after Jim Corbett a well known hunter turned to a conservationist and naturalist. The park was fist to come under the project tiger initiative in 1973.

The park has sub-Himalayan belt geographical and ecological characteristics. It is a complete hub of ecotourism destination. It contains 488 different species of plants and a diverse variety of fauna it has been a paradise for bird lovers too, more than 580 species of birds one can find here. Corbett park has a been a hotspot destination for tourist and wildlife lovers for a long time. Tourism is allowed in the selective areas of the park so that visitors get every chance to see the landscape and wildlife. The member of visitors coming here has been increasing by leaps and bounds every year. More than 75000 visitors visit the park per year.

This is India’s one of the most wild areas. It has 1288 sq km,which include two protected areas- Corbett national park (520.82sq km) And Sonannadi wildlife sanctuary (301.20 sq km). Corbett tiger reserve lies in shevalik terai biotic province on foothills of Himalaya.

The Man:
His story is surprising to say the least. Jim Corbett started out his life as a hunter. He was a hunter of the very same animal that he later on dedicated his life to protect. An officer in the British Army, he was posted in India and Kenya among other places, but it was in these two places that he made a name for himself by slaying numerous man eating tigers and leopards.

It was because of this that his involvement with these animals grew. He was called on ever more frequently to hunt such animals and thus developed a great respect and admiration for the great cat. He later decided to only kill those animals that were a danger to man and left hunting as a sport. An avid photographer, he decided to catalogue and collect information on these animals and the forests for the people. As his fondness for the tigers grew so did his concern for their fate. Thus, the hunter became a conservationist and he began to actively advocate for the safekeeping of these animals.

The Park:
Coincidentally, the Corbett Park history is very similar to that of the man’s after which it was named. The park was originally established in 1907 as the Hailey National Park. It was a game reserve, where people could go to hunt the tiger! It was setup by the British but after independence it was renamed as the Ramganga National Park and a year later in 1955-56 it was renamed to Corbett National Park as it is known today.
The Jim Corbett Park is the oldest natural sanctuary in India and over the years has become a safe haven for animals like the Asian Elephant and the Great One Horned Rhinoceros along with the tiger. Located amidst picturesque mountains, valleys, rivers and lush green forests, it is an ideal tourist spot that teaches people to fall in love with nature.