What is the first National park in India?
VerifiedAnswer: Jim Corbett National Park (1936)
Explanation:
Jim Corbett National Park holds the prestigious distinction of being India's first national park, established in 1936. Originally named Hailey National Park after Sir Malcolm Hailey, the Governor of the United Provinces, it was later renamed in honor of the famous hunter-turned-conservationist Jim Corbett in 1957.
Located in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand (formerly part of Uttar Pradesh), this remarkable park spans across approximately 520 square kilometers. The park was established primarily to protect the endangered Bengal tiger, making it a crucial milestone in India's conservation history.
Jim Corbett, after whom the park is named, was a British-Indian hunter who became one of India's earliest wildlife conservationists. He played a vital role in establishing this protected area after recognizing the urgent need to preserve India's diminishing tiger population and their natural habitat.
The park is famous for being part of Project Tiger, launched in 1973, which was India's ambitious tiger conservation program. Today, Jim Corbett National Park is home to over 200 tigers and serves as a model for wildlife conservation across the country.
The park's diverse ecosystem includes sal forests, riverine belts, marshy depressions, and grasslands. Besides tigers, it houses elephants, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, and over 600 species of birds, making it one of India's most biodiverse protected areas.
The establishment of Jim Corbett National Park marked the beginning of India's systematic approach to wildlife conservation and paved the way for the creation of numerous other national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country.
