Jim Corbett National Park the Paradise of : A Fact File

Jim Corbett National Park can be befittingly called the paradise of Tigers in . Area of the Jim Corbett Park is 520.82 sq km (1318 sq km Corbett National Park including Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary). The park is named after the legendary hunter turned naturalist Jim Corbett (British hunter-1875-1955).

Location of Jim Corbett National Park-

Identification: First and Oldest National Park in India Objective: First Tiger Conservation Project in India (long tradition of conservation) Established in: 1936 (as national park) Location: Spread in and Pauri District, Ramnagar Town, , India Area: 1318.54 sq km Core Area: 520.82 sq km Buffer Area: 797.72 sq km Altitude: 385 m - 1100 m above MSL Longitude: 7805' E to 7905' E Latitude: 29025'E to 29040' N Annual Rainfall: 1400-2800 mm. Temperature Range: 4°C in winter to 42°C during summer Climate: temperate, throughout the year Best Time: 15th November to 15th June During its inception, the name of the park was Hailey National Park, which was rechristened afterward in the honor of the great conservationist and naturalist Jim Corbett, who hunted down tigers that had turned man-eaters in Kumaon, Uttarakhand, between 1907 to 1939. Jim Corbett believed in the conservation of the ecosystem and wildlife, especially tigers and that is why Jim Corbett National Park was chosen as the venue for the inauguration of 'Save the tigers' project in India.

The project tiger was launched in 1973. The basic intention of Project Tiger is to maintain the ecological balance of nature and conserve extant ecosystems. The project seeks to establish a natural link between the wildlife & flora of national parks and sanctuaries and the humans living on their peripheries. It also seeks to create awareness about harm to environment and preservation efforts. Spread across the districts- Nainital and Pauri, the Corbett National Park covers an area of 1288 sq. km, together with neighboring reserves- Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve Forest. It is home to approximately 110 tree species, 50 mammals' species, 580 bird species, and 25 reptile species that are found both in the lower and higher regions of the park. The most famous of Corbett's wild residents are the Bengal Tiger, Asiatic Elephant, , Wild Boar, Sloth Bear, Jackal, Mongoose, and Crocodile. The climate of the Park: Summer (March to September): 19°C-46°C Winter (October to February): 2°C-30°C Best Time to Visit: January to March & November to December Safari Options: Jeep, Elephant and Canter Major Attractions Jim Corbett National Park is home to around 50 mammals, 577 birds and 25 reptiles.

Birds: Species of Birds are divided into 5 categories in Jim Corbett National Park:

Water-birds and Waterside-birds: 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. There are about 15 kinds of duck and a variety of wagtails.

Birds of Prey: Himalayan Vulture, peregrine falcon, booted hawk-eagle, steppe eagle, black eagle, osprey, Himalayan grey-headed fishing eagle, crested serpent eagle, black-winged eagle

Night Birds: Fish owl, Stone curlew, Great stone plover, Jungle nightjar, Franklin's nightjar, Scops owls

Woodland Birds: Green Pigeons, Hornbills, Barbets, Orioles, Drongos, Peafowl, Parakeetam, Babblers, Thrushes, Red Junglefowl, White-crested kalij pheasant, Bulbus, Warblers, Tailor Bird, Robins, Chats, Redstarts, Bayas, Finches, Doves, Beasters, Open Ground Birds Black Partridge, Air-Birds: Indian Alpine Swift, Crested Swifts, the Dusky Crag Martin, Striated (or Red-rumped) Swallows, the Indian Cliff Shallow, and the Wire-tailed Swallow

Mammals: Barking deer, Sambar deer, Hog deer, Chital, Sloth, Himalayan black bears, Indian grey mongoose, otters, Yellow-throated martens, Himalayan goral, Indian pangolins, Langur and Rhesus macaques.

Fishes: Prestine water of mountain streams in Jim Corbett National Park is home to multiple fish species namely Goonch (Bagarius bagarius), Indian trout (Barilius bola), Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora) and Rohu (Labeo rohita).

Reptiles: Garial crocodile, Mugger crocodile, Indian Python, King Cobra, Indian Pythons, Monitor Lizard, Turtles, Cobra, Tortise, Russell's Viper, Kraits

Flora: One of the biggest claims of Jim Corbett National Park is its vegetation. Sal (Shorea robusta), Sheesam (Dalbergia sissoo), Kanju (Holoptelea integrifolia), Ber (Zizyphus mauritians), Dhak (Butea monosperma), and Bael (Aegle Marmelos) are some of the trees which can be seen scattered in Jim Corbett National Park. Some of the grasses which can be seen in Jim Corbett National Park are Kansi, Themeda arundinacea, Baib or Bhabar, Narkul, Tiger Grass, Khus Khus and Spear Grass

Safari Timings Winters  Morning Safari: 0730 hrs- 1030 hrs

 Evening Safari: 1500 hrs - 1700 hrs Summer  Morning Safari: 0630 hrs- 0930 hrs

 Evening Safari: 1600 hrs - 1800 hrs