Jim Corbett national park opens to public
by Atul Chauhan

     Jim Corbett Park (Uttaranchal): The world famous Jim Corbett National Park, situated in Uttaranchal at the foothills of the Shivalik range in the Himalayas and stretching over an area of 1,000 square miles, has been opened to public on Saturday after a monsoon break of four months. Established in 1936 in the Kumaun region on the advice of British hunter-turned-conservator Jim Corbett, it houses over 50 mammals, 580 birds and 25 reptile species. Several insects come up in the park after monsoons. Presently, only the Bijrani zone has been reopened for the tourists and the other Dhikala zone of the park will be reopened only after November 15. It has been opened for tourists only for day visits and the night-camping would be made available from middle of the next month. " Similar to last year we have reopened the Bijrani Zone of the National Park for the tourist and our arrangements are similar to those of last years," says D.S.Rawat, Park Warden, Jim Corbett National Park. The residents of the neighbouring areas and tourists thronged the park.

     Visitors said they were jubilant at the park's reopening."Our driver took us deep inside the forest and we had a very good experience. We were not able to see many animals but the forest is dense and really beautiful," said a tourist. "Park is really beautiful and dense. We were not lucky to see many animals. We saw a wild bore, a kingfisher and we even saw pug marks of tigers," said Shagun Arora, another tourist. The Corbett National Park houses over 50 mammals, 580 birds and 25 reptile species. A plethora of insects can be seen after the monsoons. Indian tigers are the main feature of this park. In 1984, 90 tigers were estimated here. The other animals found here are leopards, leopard cat, jungle cat, fishing cat, the sloth bear, Himalayan black bear, dhole, jackal, yellow-throated marten, Himalayan palm civet, Indian grey mongoose, common otter, porcupine, and the clacktaped hare. Elephants are spotted all over the park. Ghoral (goat antelopes) as well as four species of deer, the chital (well known spotted deer), para Kakkar and barking deer can also be spotted here. The park is rich in avifauna with a range of over 580 species. Most of the water birds are migrant and arrive in winters. Some of these are the greylag, barheaded goose, duck, grepe, snipe, sandpiper, gull and wagtail. The residents include darters, cormorants, egrets, herons, the black necked stork and the spur winged lapwings. The park is also a home to some reptiles. A few species of turtles and tortoises, Indian python, viper, cobra, krait and king cobra are inhabitants of this park. The National Park affords some awe-inspiring sights of wild life.

     The place is considered ideal place for wildlife lovers, photographers and anglers. The best way to explore the place is by a private vehicle. Walking is allowed only in a few areas, accompanied by a guide. One can book elephants in the Dhikala complex for elephant rides to view the wildlife, in the morning and evening. In the year 1973, as part of Project Tiger, Corbett National Park was declared India's very first Tiger Reserve. More than 60,000 tourists visit Corbett park every year, a bulk of them from abroad.
-Oct 17, 2005