Corbett National Park &
Tiger Reserve
| In all the subsequent years I
have hunted man-eaters I have not seen anything as pitiful as that young
comely leg - bitten off a little below the knee as clean as though
severed by the stroke of an axe - out of which the warm blood was
trickling. |
| Jim Corbett |
MAN-EATERS
OF KUMAONThe word "Corbett" instantly conjures up the
vision of a lone Englishman, with a gun in his hands, hot on the trail of a
savage predator. The ferocity of Corbett's man-eating tigers may now be a
musty page in the history of Kumaon but the beauty of this region has not
lost its lustre.
In 1936, some 256km2 of its mixed deciduous
jungles, located in the Himalayan foothills, became India's first National
Park, Hailey National Park, which was subsequently renamed Corbett National
Park, to be a permanent memorial to the great sportsman, naturalist and
writer. Popularly known as Corbett, it is also the first national park to be
brought under Project Tiger in 1973. Truly a marvel of Mother Nature's
creative art, it is one of India's finest natural wonders.
Drained
by river Ramganga and her tributaries - Sonanadi, Palain and Mandal -
Corbett along with Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary and the Reserve Forest, form
Corbett Tiger Reserve. The 1318km2 Tiger Reserve has elevations ranging from
400 metres to over 1200 metres and such varied topography sustains equally
diverse forms of vegetation. From the lofty stands of stately sal trees in
the lower hilly ridges and valleys; forests of Khair-Sissoo in the riverain
areas of Ramganga, to the flourishing grasslands or chaurs, Corbett supports
110 species of trees, 51 species of shrubs and 33 species of bamboo and
grass.
Over 600 species of birds have been recorded in the park,
which account for 6% of the bird diversity found on the earth and one-fourth
in the Indian sub-continent, making Corbett a paradise for birdwatchers. 25
species of reptiles found in the park comprise the Rock Python, Monitor
Lizard, King Cobra, the Mugger, the Gharial and several other kinds of
snakes and lizards, large and small. Fish include the Goonch, Trout, and,
the toughest fresh-water fighting fish in the world the Mahseer, tiger of
the Indian rivers.
However, the real stars of Corbett are its
mammals and 50 species have been listed here. Sambar, Chital, Hog Deer,
Barking Deer, Nilgai, Himalayan Black Bear, Sloth Bear, Wild Dog, Jackal,
Marten, Otter, Wild Boar, Leopard, and the Asian Elephant vie for top
honours with the Royal Bengal Tiger, the king of all beasts in this land of
roar, trumpet and song!
