Джим-Корбетт: Национальный парк Индии

National park in India

Jim Corbett National Park is a national park in India located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state. The first national park in India, it was established in 1936 during the British Raj and named Hailey National Park after William Malcolm Hailey, a governor of the United Provinces in which it was then located. In 1956, nearly a decade after India's independence, it was renamed Corbett National Park after the hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett, who had played a leading role in its establishment and had died the year before. The park was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative. Corbett National Park comprises area of hills, riverine belts, marshy depressions, grasslands and a large lake. The elevation ranges from Winter nights are cold but the days are bright and sunny. It rains from July to September. The park has sub Himalayan belt geographical and ecological characteristics. Dense moist deciduous forest mainly consists of Shorea robusta (the sal tree), haldu, peepal, rohini and mango trees. Forest covers almost 73 per cent of the park, while 10 per cent of the area consists of grasslands. It houses around 110 tree species, 50 species of mammals, 580 bird species and 25 reptile species. An ecotourism destination,

Some areas of the park were formerly part of the princely state of Tehri Garhwal. The forests were cleared by the Environment and Forests Department (Uttarakhand) to make the area less vulnerable to Rohilla invaders. Hunting was not allowed in the reserve, only timber cutting for domestic purposes was permitted. Soon after the establishment of the reserve, rules prohibiting the killing and capture of mammals, reptiles and birds within its boundaries were passed. The park fared well during the 1930s under an elected administration. But, during the Second World War, it suffered from excessive poaching and timber cutting. Over time, the area in the reserve was increased— were added in 1991 as a buffer zone to the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The reserve is administered from its headquarters in the Nainital district. Corbett National Park is one of the thirteen protected areas covered by the World Wide Fund For Nature under their Terai Arc Landscape Program. The program aims to protect three of the five terrestrial flagship species, the tiger, the Asian elephant and the great one horned rhinoceros, by restoring corridors of forest to link 13 protected areas of Nepal and India, to enable wildlife migration. It protects parts of the Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests and Himalayan subtropical pine forests ecoregions. It has a humid subtropical and highland climate. The present area of the reserve is including a core zone and of buffer area. Total tree basal cover is greater in Sal dominated areas of woody vegetation. in 2023, 617 species were noted, including 110 tree species.

More than 586 species of resident and migratory birds have been categorised, including the crested serpent eagle, blossom headed parakeet and the red junglefowl — ancestor of all domestic fowl. The tigers in the park have been known to kill much larger animals such as buffalo and even elephant for food. Leopards are found in hilly areas but may also venture into the low land jungles. According to Riley & Riley (2005): "Best chances of seeing a tiger to come late in the dry season April to mid June and go out with mahouts and elephants for several days." This heavy influx of tourists has led to visible stress signs on the natural ecosystem. In 2007, the naturalist and photographer Kahini Ghosh Mehta made the first comprehensive travel guide on Corbett National Park. The film, titled Wild Saga of Corbett, shows how tourists can contribute to conservation efforts.

Dhikala is situated at the fringes of Patli Dun valley. There is a rest house, which was built hundred of years ago. Kanda ridge forms the backdrop, and from Dhikala, there are views of the valley. Kalagarh Dam is located in the south west of the wildlife sanctuary. Many migratory waterfowl come here in the winters. Corbett Falls is a water fall situated from Ramnagar, and from Kaladhungi, on the Kaladhungi–Ramnagar highway. The falls are surrounded by dense forests. Garjiya Devi Temple is sacred to Garjiya Devi and is mostly visited during the Kartik Purnima (November – December). It is located on the bank of the river Kosi, amidst the hilly terrains of Uttarakhand, nearby Garjiya village, at a distance of 14 km. from Ramnagar, Uttarakhand, India.

The 2005 Bollywood movie Kaal has a plot set in the Jim Corbett National Park. The movie was filmed at the park as well. In August 2019, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi appeared in a special episode of Discovery Channel's show Man vs Wild with the host Bear Grylls, where he trekked the jungles and talked about nature and wildlife conservation with Grylls. The episode was filmed in Jim Corbett National Park and broadcast in 180 countries along India.

A major incident in the history of the reserve followed the construction of a dam at the Kalagarh river and the submerging of of prime low lying riverine area. Vines, herbs, grasses and small trees began to appear, followed by herbaceous flora, eventually leading to natural forest type. This figure dropped to 12 reported cases in 1997–98.

An economic assessment study of Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve estimated its annual flow benefits to be 14.7 billion (1.14 lakh / hectare). Important ecosystem services included gene pool protection (10.65 billion), provisioning of water to downstream districts of Uttar Pradesh (1.61 billion), water purification services to the city of New Delhi (550 million), employment for local communities (82 million), provision of habitat and refugia for wildlife (274 million) and sequestration of carbon (214 million).