Jim Corbett the legendary British hunter could have described the National Park better than many contemporary scribes. He was enmeshed at grass root level in the erstwhile tiger kingdom. He laid many an aberrant tigers and leopards to sleep before turning into a conservationist. The big cats are being conserved all over India as in Corbett National Park in Nainital District.
The steep hills of Shivalik accord succour to the foothills called Terai which is host to verdant greenery and amazing biodiversity. The hills protect the Terai from the towering Himalayas but cold and snow does prevail here in this habitable terrain which is home to spectacular diversity.
The altitude migration adds to the species richness of the region. Corbett Tiger Reserve is home to more than five hundred species of birds and hence a large number of enthusiasts flock to this destination. Some of the spectacular avian are the forktails, ibisbill, great hornbill, amazing species of woodpeckers, warblers, wren, rubythroat, paradise flycatchers, niltava, ashy bulbul the list is endless.
The animal life is diversity as well, and some species like the Goral pertaining to Indo-China sub region inhabits the reserve. Tiger, leopard, elephant, Himalayan black bear, goral, sambar, hog deer, chital, barking deer, langur, rhesus macaque, otters, yellow throated martin, and mongoose are the chief attraction. In the river Ramganga one can see the Gharial, mugger and giant turtles.
Tiger sightings are excellent in the park and they can be seen on game drives in the park. The core area provides good sightings of big cats along with other animals and plenty of birds. Wild elephants are better seen post January.
The outer areas or the buffer host plenty of wildlife and birds. Birding on foot is allowed here and most of the tour operators keep visits to buffer in the itinerary. Some of the prominent areas are the Mohaan, Sita Vani, Koshi River Bank, Ramnagar and Lal Daang.
Corbett has six safari zones two of which remain open throughout the year. The preferred is of course Dhikala from the Dhangadi gate excursions are available for those with accommodations booked within.
Core Area: 520 sq.km
Buffer: 797.72 sq.km
Tiger Reserve: Total Area: 1318.54 sq.km
Winters: 5 deg C to 30 deg C
Summers: Maximum 40 deg C
Essentials: Ramnagar Township
How to Reach?
Most of the hotels and resorts are at Ramnagar Township which is the administrative HQ of Corbett Tiger Reserve. Delhi is at a distance of 260 km while Nainital Hill Resorts is at a distance of 142 km. Dehradun is at a distance of 171 km.
