INTRODUCTION

Jim Corbett National Park, which is a part of the larger Corbett Tiger
Reserve, a Project Tiger Reserve lies in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.
The magical landscape of Corbett is well known and fabled for its tiger
richness. Established in the year 1936 as Hailey National Park, Corbett has
the glory of being India's oldest and most prestigious National Park. It is
also being honored as the place where Project Tiger was first launched in
1973. This unique tiger territory is best known as the father who gave
birth of the Project Tiger in India to protect the most endangered species
and the Royal of India called Tigers.

Spans over an extent of 520 square kilometers, its whole area comprises
of hills, marshy depressions, riverine belts, grasslands and large lake. It is
among the few tiger reserves in India that allows overnight stays in the
lap of the National Park. Nature watch and wildlife viewing in the park is
done in an open four wheeler Jeep and on elephant back. Sheltering a
healthy population of tigers and rare species like Otters and the endemic
fish eating crocodile, the national park is one of the most sought after
destinations for the wildlife buffs. Dhikala, situated at the border of the
extensive Patil Dun valley, is the most popular destination in Corbett
because of its superb location and sheer abundance of wildlife present.
If you love bird watching then Corbett is virtual haven for such tourists.
Corbett and its adjoining area is a home to more than 650 species of
residents and migratory birds. Particularly Dhikala is fine place to look for
birds of prey, more than over 50 species of raptors alone shows the
healthy biodiversity of the area. Their multiplex behavior is intriguing and
their varied songs are very much pleasing to the ear. In a nutshell, this
finest national park of India is well known for rich and varied wildlife
including royal Bengal tiger, elephant,four to five species of deer and rich
birdlife.

ZONES
The Tourist Zones: In order to promote tourism in the region Corbett
National Park has been divided into five different zones. These are the
marked buffer or core area of the park where visitors can be part of
wildlife safari and can enjoy the intriguing behavior of the animals with
bare eyes at proximity.

Bijrani Safari Zone : Bijrani Zone is very popular tourist's hub because
of its abundant natural beauty and open grasslands. The entry gate of the
zone is located at only 01 Km from Ramnaghar city.

Jhirna Safari Zone : Jhirna is another important tourist zone in the Jim
Corbett National park that is open for tourist round the year. Jhirna Gate is
located
at
16
km
from
Ramnagar
city.
Dhela Safari Zone : Dhela is a new eco tourism zone in Corbett National
Park included in tiger reserve zone in November 2014. This is the only
area in the reserve's buffer zone open to tourists in CTR. The zone is
retaining the attention of large number of tourist because of its wealthy
flora and fauna, open throughout the year, located at an approximate
distance of 13 Km from Ramnagar City.

Dhikala Zone : Being the largest and most varied zone in Corbett,
Dhikala is famous for its abundant natural beauty as well as offering the
best sight for exotic fauna. The entry gate is 18 km away from Ramnagar

city. Night stay inside the Dhikala Tourism Zone is highly recommended for
the hard core wildlife enthusiasts.

Durga Devi Zone : Located on the north-eastern boundary of the Jim

Corbett National Park, Durga Devi zone is the heaven on planet earth for
those who are fond of bird watching. Entry gate is located at an
approximate
distance
of
36
km
from
Ramnagar
city.
Sitabani Buffer Zone : Sitabani Zone doesn't fall under the Corbett Tiger
Reserve area. If you are fond of serene ambiance of the natural beauty,
must visit Sitabani area.

PLACES AROUND CORBETT NATIONAL PARK

There are around 100 villages within 20 km radius of Corbett national park
namely Dhikala, Dhikli, Rajeshnagar, Garjia, etc. according to the census
in 2014 the population of the villages around around Corbett was around
97,916. The main occupation of people here is farming and cattle rearing.
.Amit verma is currently the DFO of the national park and says that there are around
300 tigers in the park.