Jim Corbett National Park

Jim Corbett national park is among the oldest wildlife sanctuary in India which is aimed to preserve the natural biodiversity of flora and fauna of the country. It was established in 1936, during the time it was named Hailey National Park. Jim Corbett National Park is named after the British hunter, tracker, naturalist, and author Edward James Corbett, the park was essentially established to protect the species of Bengal Tiger in India. 

Corbett National Park includes 520.8 square kilometers (201.1 square miles) of hills, river belts, swamp depressions, grasslands, and a large lake. The altitude ranges from 1,300 to 4,000 feet (400 to 1,220 meters). The park has the geographical and ecological characteristics of the sub-Himalayan zone. The dense and humid deciduous forest is mainly composed of sal, haldu, peepal, Rohini, and mango trees. Forests cover almost 73% of the park and 10% of the area is made up of grasslands. It has about 110 species of trees, 50 species of mammals, 580 species of birds, and 25 species of reptiles.

Jim Corbett National Park was chosen as the location for the launch ceremony of India's "Save the Tiger" project. The Tiger Project was launched in 1973. The basic intent of the Tiger Project is to maintain the natural ecological balance and protect the existing ecosystem. The project aims to establish natural connections between wild animals and flora in national parks and reserves and humans living in their surrounding areas. It also seeks to raise awareness of environmental damage and protection efforts.

Corbett's most famous wild animals apart from Bengal tigers are Asian elephants, leopards, wild boars, sloths, jackals, mongooses, and crocodiles. As an ecotourism destination, the park has 488 different plants and a great variety of fauna. Problems such as increased tourist activities continue to pose serious challenges to the ecological balance of the park.

The article presented here is a Jim Corbett national park a fact file, which primarily focuses on the description of the national park which includes the aspects of history, geography, climate, and ecotourism of the Jim Corbett national park. Since the article is Jim Corbett national park: the paradise of tigers, a fact file, the article also mentions some of the important points related to the biodiversity of species found in the national park. 

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History of the Corbett National Park the Paradise of Tigers

The Jim Corbett national park is located in the district of Nainital and Pauri in Ramnagar Town, Uttarakhand, India. During British rule, some areas of the park were part of the princely state of Tehri Garhwal. Tehri Garhwal gave part of his princely status to the East India Company in exchange for their help in driving the Gurkhas out of his territory.  It was around this time that the ecological importance of the landscape came to light.

Efforts to save the forests in the area began in the 19th century, under the leadership of Major Ramsay, a British officer in charge of the area at the time. The first step in protecting the area began in 1868 when the British Forest Department established control of the land and prohibited the cultivation and feeding of cattle farms. In 1879, these forests were designated as protected areas, allowing restricted logging.

In 1907, the British government considered establishing a wildlife sanctuary. It was not until the 1930s that the area began to be delineated. Covering an area of ​​323.75 square kilometers (125.00 square miles), the reserve was named Haley National Park. It was created in 1936 when Sir Malcolm Haley served as Governor of the Union Province and created the first national park in Asia.

There were certain rules that were to be followed in the receive like, hunting is not allowed in the reserve, only logging for family use. Soon after the reserve was established, a rule prohibiting the killing and trapping of mammals, reptiles, and birds within its boundaries was passed. 

The reserve was renamed Ramganga National Park in 1954-55 and was renamed Corbett National Park again in 1955-56, in memory of the writer and naturalist Jim Corbett.

Corbett National Park is one of 13 protected areas covered by the World Wide Fund For Nature under its Terai Arc landscape plan. The plan aims to protect three of the five flagship terrestrial species, namely tigers, Asian elephants, and rhinoceros by restoring the forest corridor linking 13 protected areas in Nepal and India, to allow wildlife migration.

Geography of Jim Corbett National Park a Fact File

As discussed earlier in the article the national park is located in the state of Uttarakhand in the sub-Himalayan zone, we now understand some of the important facts related to the geography of the reserve.

The park is located between 29 ° 25` and 29 ° 39` north latitude and 78 ° 44` and 79 ° 07` east longitude. The altitude of this area is between 360 meters (1,181 feet) and 1,040 meters (3,412 feet). It has many ravines, ridges, streams, and small plateaus with different slopes. The park includes the Patli Dun Valley formed by the Ramganga River. It protects part of the humid deciduous forest and the Himalayan subtropical pine forest ecological zone in the upper Ganges plain. It has a humid subtropical and plateau climate. 

The protected area is located partly in the valley between the Lesser Himalayas in the north and Shivalik in the south and is a sub-Himalayan belt structure. Tertiary rocks are exposed in the lower part of the Shiwalik Range, and the hard sandstone units form wide ridges. The narrow tectonic belt along the line forms a typical longitudinal valley, geographically called the Doons or Duns.

Compared to most other protected areas in India, the climate in the park is temperate. Winter temperatures can range from 5 ° C (41 ° F) to 30 ° C (86 ° F), and some mornings are foggy. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 40 ° C (104 ° F). The amount of precipitation varies from light rains in winter to heavy rains and rains in summer.

Jim Corbett National Park: The Paradise of Tigers, A Fact File About Floral Biodiversity

A total of 488 different plants have been registered in the park. The tree density in the reserve is highest in the Saal forest and lowest in the Anogeissus Acacia catechu forests. The woody vegetation zone is covered mainly by sal vegetations.  In the communities of Mallotus philippensis, Jamun, and Diospyros tomentosa saplings and seedlings are seen to be renewed in a healthy way, but in Sal Forest, the regeneration of saplings and seedlings are comparatively poor. 

One of the greatest features of Jim Corbett National Park is its vegetation the examples of vegetations scattered in the Jim Corbett National Park is mentioned below.

• Sal (Shorea robusta)

• Sheesam (Dalbergia sissoo)

• Kanju (Holoptelea integrifolia)

• Ber (Zizyphus mauritians)

• Dhak (Butea monosperma)

• Bael (Aegle Marmelos) 

Some herbs that can be seen in the park are Kansi, Themeda arundinacea, Baib or Bhabar, Narkul, Tiger Grass, Khus Khus and Spear Grass.

Jim Corbett National Park: The Paradise of Tigers, a Fact File about the Fauna

Although the national park is known for the conservation of the tiger, the flagship species of the reserve consists large biodiversity of animals that helps in marinating the species biodiversity of the whole subcontinent. It is important to note that while some of the species are endangered or vulnerable there are populations of species that are present in the reserve which is at zero risks, these kinds of species are specifically important for maintaining the ecological balance of the Jim Corbett national park. 

There are more than 586 types of resident and migratory birds, including the crested snake eagle, flower-headed parrot, and red jungle bird, the ancestor of all poultry, 33 kinds of reptiles, 7 kinds of amphibians, 7 kinds of fishes, and 50 mammals, 577 birds. Needless to say, birds are an important part of the biodiversity of the national park, the birds are categorized into 5 groups which are mentioned below. 

1. Water-birds and Waterside-birds

This category includes the following birds found at the national park, 

• Cattle Egret

• Black Neck Storks

• Cattle Egret

• Darter

• Grey Heron

• Cormorants

• Graylag Geese

• Large Pied Wagtail

• White-Capped Redstart

• Sandpipers

• Snipe

• Great black-headed Gull

2. Birds of Prey

It includes the following birds,

• Himalayan vulture

• peregrine falcon

• booted hawk-eagle

• steppe eagle

• black eagle

• Himalayan grey-headed fishing eagle

• crested serpent eagle

• black-winged eagle

3. Woodland Birds

Example of it includes the following,

• Green Pigeons

•  Hornbills

• Barbets

• Orioles

• Drongos

• Peafowl

• Parakeetam

• Babblers

• Thrushes

• Red Junglefowl

• White-crested kilij pheasant

4. Night Birds

It includes the following 

• Fish owl

•  Stone curlew

•  Great stone plover

•  Jungle nightjar

•  Franklin's nightjar

•  Scops owls

5. Air-Birds

This category includes the following,

• Indian Alpine Swift

• Crested Swifts

• Dusky Crag Martin

• Striated (or Red-rumped) Swallows

• Indian Cliff Shallow

•  Wire-tailed Swallow

Apart from birds the national park also contains huge biodiversity of animals example of some prominent mammals found in the national park includes the following, tiger,  jungle cat, fishing cat and leopard cat, barking deer, sambar deer, hog deer, chital, sloth, and Himalayan black bears, Indian grey mongoose, otters, yellow-throated martens, Himalayan goral, Indian pangolins, and Rhesus macaques.

In conclusion, the Jim Corbett national park is the oldest reserve in India, which is focused on preserving the wildlife diversity of the country. The flagship species of the reserve is the Bengal tiger.