Jim Corbett National Park is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, India. It was created in 1936 as India's first national park and is named after Jim Corbett, who helped establish it. The park was the first in India to join the Project Tiger program. It covers an area of 520.8 square kilometers (201.1 square miles) and includes hills, areas near rivers, wet, low-lying areas, grasslands, and a large lake. The park's elevation ranges from 400 to 1,220 meters (1,300 to 4,000 feet). Rainfall occurs from July to September. About 73% of the park is covered by thick forests with trees that lose their leaves seasonally, such as Shorea robusta, peepal, rohini, and mango trees. These forests include 110 types of trees and 617 kinds of plants. Grasslands make up about 10% of the park. The park is home to 50 mammal species, 580 bird species, and 25 reptile species. Increased tourism continues to create a serious challenge for the park's environment.

History

Some parts of the park were once part of the Tehri Garhwal princely state. The forests were cleared by the Uttarakhand Forest Department to make the area less likely to be attacked by Rohilla invaders. The Raja of Tehri gave up a part of his land to the East India Company in exchange for their help in driving the Gurkhas out of his territory. The Buksas, a group from the Terai region, moved to the area and started farming, but they were forced to leave when British rule began in the early 1860s.

Efforts to protect the forests started in the 19th century under Major Ramsay, a British officer who managed the area at that time. In 1868, the British forest department took control of the land and stopped farming and the use of cattle stations. In 1879, the forests were declared a reserve where only limited tree cutting was allowed.

In the early 1900s, several British people, including E. R. Stevans and E. A. Smythies, proposed creating a national park on this land. The British government considered making a game reserve there in 1907. Work to define the area for a park began in the 1930s. In 1936, a reserve called Hailey National Park, covering 323.75 km² (125.00 sq mi), was created. This was Asia’s first national park. Hunting was not allowed, but cutting trees for personal use was permitted. Soon after, rules were made to stop killing or capturing mammals, reptiles, and birds within the reserve.

The park was renamed Ramganga National Park in 1954–1955 and later changed to Corbett National Park in 1955–1956, named after naturalist Jim Corbett. The park was well managed during the 1930s under an elected administration. However, during World War II, it suffered from too much hunting and tree cutting. Over time, the reserve area expanded to 797.72 km² (308.00 sq mi) in 1991, adding a buffer zone to the Corbett Tiger Reserve. This included the entire Kalagarh forest division and the 301.18 km² (116.29 sq mi) area of Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary. In 1974, the area was chosen as the site for the Project Tiger conservation program. The park is managed from its headquarters in the Nainital district.

Corbett National Park is one of thirteen protected areas included in the World Wide Fund For Nature’s Terai Arc Landscape Program. This program aims to protect three key species—the tiger, the Asian elephant, and the Indian rhinoceros—by restoring wildlife corridors to connect 13 protected areas in Nepal and India, helping animals move freely.

Geography

Jim Corbett National Park is partly located in the Doon Valley, between the Lesser Himalaya to the north and the Siwalik Hills to the south. It has a special area structure called a sub-Himalayan belt. Upper tertiary rocks are visible near the base of the Shiwalik range, and hard sandstone forms wide ridges. Long, narrow valleys called Doons or Duns are found along the tectonic zones between natural lines in the earth. The area’s elevation ranges from 360 meters (1,180 feet) to 1,040 meters (3,410 feet). The park has many ravines, ridges, small streams, and plateaus with different slopes and directions. It includes the Patli Dun valley, shaped by the Ramganga River. The park’s total area is 1,288.31 square kilometers (497.42 square miles), with 822 square kilometers (317 square miles) as a core zone and 466.31 square kilometers (180.04 square miles) as a buffer zone.

The weather in the park is temperate compared to other protected areas in India. Winter temperatures can range from 5°C (41°F) to 30°C (86°F), and some mornings have fog. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 40°C (104°F). Rainfall is light in winter and heavy during the summer monsoon season.

Flora

Tree density inside the reserve is higher in Sal forests and lowest in Anogeissus–Acacia catechu forests. The total area covered by tree trunks is greater in areas where Sal trees are most common. Healthy new growth of young trees and seedlings is found in Mallotus philippensis, Jamun, and Diospyros species communities. However, in Sal forests, the growth of young trees and seedlings is weak. A study from the 1970s found 488 different plant species; by 2023, 617 species were recorded, including 110 tree species. A report by the Wildlife Institute of India listed the Sal tree (Shorea robusta), Adina cordifolia, Anogeissus latifolia, Bauhinia rausinosa, Cassia fistula, and M. philippensis as important tree species in the reserve.

Fauna

Jim Corbett National Park has many different types of animals. Mammals found here include the Indian elephant, Indian leopard, Bengal tiger, jungle cat, fishing cat, leopard cat, barking deer, sambar deer, hog deer, chital, sloth bear, Asiatic black bear, Indian gray mongoose, otters, yellow-throated marten, Himalayan goral, Indian pangolin, langur, and rhesus macaque. Marsh crocodiles and gharials were placed into the Ramganga River. The thick forests, Ramganga River, and plenty of prey make this area a good home for predators. According to the 2022 census, there were 260 tigers in the park. In 2019, there were about 1,100 elephants in the park. Tigers in the park hunt large animals, such as elephants, especially young ones.

Over 586 types of birds, including those that live there all year and those that visit seasonally, have been seen. These include the crested serpent eagle, Indian paradise flycatcher, greater coucal, blossom-headed parakeet, red junglefowl, owls, and nightjars. There are also 33 reptile species, including the Indian python, 7 amphibian species, 7 fish species, and 36 dragonfly species recorded in the park.

Ecotourism

The main goal of the reserve is to protect wildlife, but it also supports ecotourism. In 1993, a training program was created to teach natural history, how to manage visitors, and how to explain the park’s features to nature guides. A second program began in 1995 to train more guides for the same purpose. This allowed reserve staff, who were once busy leading visitors, to focus on tasks like managing the park without interruptions.

The Indian government has held workshops on ecotourism in Corbett National Park and the Garhwal region. These workshops aim to help local people benefit from tourism while keeping the park protected. According to Riley & Riley (2005): "The best times to see a tiger are late in the dry season—April to mid-June—and to travel with mahouts and elephants for several days."

As early as 1991, Corbett National Park hosted 3,237 tourist vehicles carrying 45,215 visitors during the main tourist season, from November 15 to June 15. This large number of visitors has caused problems for the natural environment. Too much walking on the soil has reduced the number of plant species and decreased soil moisture. Tourists have also used wood from nearby forests for cooking, adding pressure on the ecosystem. Additionally, tourists have been reported to make noise, leave litter, and cause other disturbances.

Other attractions

• Dhikala is located at the edges of Patli Dun valley. There is an ancient rest house in the area. Kanda ridge is behind Dhikala, and from there, visitors can see the valley.
• Kalagarh Dam is found in the south-west part of the wildlife sanctuary. Many birds that travel seasonally visit the dam during winter.
• Corbett Falls is a 20-meter (66-foot) waterfall. It is 25 kilometers (16 miles) from Ramnagar and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from Kaladhungi, along the Kaladhungi–Ramnagar highway. The falls are surrounded by thick forests.
• Garjiya Devi Temple is dedicated to Garjiya Devi and is often visited during Kartik Purnima (November–December). The temple is on the bank of the Kosi River, near Garjiya village, surrounded by hills in Uttarakhand, India. It is 14 kilometers from Ramnagar.

Challenges

A major event in the reserve's history occurred after a dam was built on the Kalagarh River, which flooded 80 km (31 sq mi) of valuable low-lying land near the river. This caused the local extinction of swamp deer and a large drop in the number of hog deer. The flooded area also created a new water body that increased the number of aquatic animals and provided a home for winter birds.

Two villages near the southern edge were moved to the Firozpur-Manpur area along the Ramnagar-Kashipur highway between 1990 and 1993. The land left behind became buffer zones. People in these villages relied on forest resources for their needs. Over time, these areas showed signs of recovery. Vines, herbs, grasses, and small trees appeared, followed by more plant life, eventually forming a natural forest. By 1999–2002, many plant species had grown in these buffer zones. The new green areas attracted animals like deer and elephants, who began to live there even during the rainy season.

There were 109 cases of poaching reported in 1988–89. This number dropped to 12 cases in 1997–98.

In 1985, David Hunt, a British ornithologist and birdwatching guide, was killed by a tiger in the park.

The reserve faces challenges from invasive plants like Lantana, Parthenium, and Cassia. Local people also use forest resources, and 74 families have encroached on 13.62 ha (33.7 acres) of land.

The villages around the park are at least 15–20 years old, and no new villages have been built recently. The growing population near the park and the increasing number of people living within 1 km (0.62 mi) to 2 km (1.2 mi) of the reserve make it harder to manage the area. Some people have killed tigers and leopards after their animals were attacked, leading to retaliation. The Indian government approved the construction of a 12 km (7.5 mi) stone wall along the reserve’s southern boundary where it meets farmland.

In April 2008, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) warned that protection systems had weakened, allowing poachers to enter the park. Monitoring of wildlife has not been done as required, and monthly reports about tiger activity have not been received since 2006. NTCA stated that without proper monitoring, it would be impossible to track problems in the area. A road built through the park violated a Supreme Court order and now connects Kalagarh to Ramnagar. Heavy traffic on this road harms wildlife in important areas like Jhirna, Kotirau, and Dhara. A 5 km (1.9 sq mi) area called the Kalagarh irrigation colony remains in the park despite a 2007 Supreme Court order to vacate it.

An economic study of Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve found its annual benefits to be ₹14.7 billion (1.14 lakh per hectare). Key ecosystem services include protecting genetic diversity (₹10.65 billion), providing water to downstream areas in Uttar Pradesh (₹1.61 billion), purifying water for New Delhi (₹550 million), creating jobs for local people (₹82 million), offering habitat for wildlife (₹274 million), and absorbing carbon dioxide (₹214 million).

In popular culture

The 2005 Bollywood movie Kaal has a story set in Jim Corbett National Park. The movie was filmed in the park.

In August 2019, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared on a special episode of Discovery Channel's show Man vs Wild with host Bear Grylls. During the episode, Modi trekked through the jungles and discussed nature and wildlife conservation with Grylls. The episode was filmed in Jim Corbett National Park and broadcast in 180 countries around the world, including India.