Corbett National Park

Corbett National Park extends over the Terai and Bhabar tracts in Uttarakhand, covers a total area of 1218.54 sq. km and constitutes of Corbett National Park (520.82 sq km), Sonanadi, Wildlife Sanctuary (301.18 sq km) and Kalagarh Reserve Forest (496.54 sq km). Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, Corbett Tiger Reserve lies mainly in the district of Nainital.

Corbett National Park

This erstwhile hunting ground was first protected by Major Ramsey in 1858. He banned farming and cattle grazing in the lower Patlidun Valley, which now forms a large portion of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. Finally, in 1936, Governor Malcolm Hailey declared it as a national park, which was India's first and the world's third national park. Hailey National Park, as it was known then, covered around 325 sq km, and Major James E. Corbett (popularly known as Jim Corbett) was one of the key consultants in defining its boundaries. Jim Corbett, the legendary hunter-turned-conservationist, was highly instrumental in preservation of its unique wildlife and dense forests. In his honour, the park was renamed as Corbett National Park in 1957, two years after Jim Corbett's death. In 1973, the Government of India launched the Project Tiger and Corbett National Park was one of the first to be included under the project.

The terrain of the park is hilly, ranging from 600-1100 m above the sea level, and consisting of mixed deciduous forests of sal (Shorea Robusta) and sheesham (Dalbergia sp) and open grassy patches known as chaurs. The park is famous for its amazing biodiversity consisting of 580+ species of birds, around 50 species of mammals, at least 25 species of reptiles in addition to hundreds of species of insects and plants.

Jim Corbett National Park

Some of its famous fauna include: (mammals) tiger, elephant, leopard, sloth bear, goral, chital, sambar, barking deer, hog deer, porcupine, yellow-throated marten, hanuman langur, (reptiles) mugger crocodile, gharial crocodile, king cobra, rock python, (birds) kingfishers, wagtails, forktails, pheasants, hornbills, eagles, vultures, migratory waterfowls, etc.

Jim's Jungle Retreat - Corbett

Jim's Jungle Retreat is an eco-conscious wildlife speciality lodge located on the southern periphery of India’s showcase wildlife park Corbett Tiger Reserve. Nestled between the Himalayan foothills in the north and the ancient Shivaliks in the south, Corbett Tiger Reserve extends over 1300 square kilometers of scrub, grassland, sal forests, rivers and a lake, varying between 400-1210 meters above sea level. Established in 1936, and once nobility’s favored hunting ground, the sanctuary protects over 50 mammals, including the Royal Bengal tiger, the Asiatic elephant and the shy sloth bear, along with nearly 600 hundred domestic and transitory birds, and remarkably rare reptiles.

Jim's Jungle Retreat

At this forest's edge, Jim's Jungle Retreat offers 18 sophisticated lodges and cottages in 15 acres of lush refuge, with forest and mountain vistas, countless bird-spotting opportunities, instinct-sharpening walks and safaris, and hours by the pool or on your private verandah. The retreat borders the southern forests of Corbett and a seasonal river that comes to life during the monsoon. Through the year, the riverbed and the surrounding forests host herds of grazing deer, root-digging wild boar, noisy jackals and the occasional tiger or leopard. During their seasonal migration, elephant herds trumpet their arrival and are sighted often on jungle walks.