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Famous As A Great Tiger
Habitat
Undoubtedly the most beautiful Park in North and Central
India, Corbett National Park is India’s first National
Park. The Park was established in August 8, 1936, and
named after the Governor of the United Provinces, Sir
Malcolm Hailey, as Hailey National Park. In 1952, the
Park’s name was changed to Ramganga National Park. In
1957, the Park was renamed yet again, this time after Jim
Corbett, the famed hunter-author-photographer-naturalist.
Jim Corbett is famous for his exploits in the jungles of
Nainital and Kumaon, where he shot many man-eaters. The
Man-eaters of Kumaon,The Temple Tiger and The Man-eating
Leopard of Rudraprayag are a few of Jim Corbett’s famous
books. On the road to Nainital from the Park is Jim
Corbett’s home, now a museum.
Location
Situated in the north of Uttar Pradesh, in Nainital and
Garhwal districts, Corbett National Park was the venue
from where Project Tiger was launched on April 1, 1973.
Project Tiger aimed at saving the tiger from extinction
because a census in 1970 revealed that the tiger
population had dwindled to 2,000, from 40,000 in 1913.
The Park is situated in the Himalayan foothills, amidst
forested mountains that range from 400m (1,312ft) to
1,210m (3,970ft) in height. Through most of the Park flows
the Ramganga River, on the banks of which lived a
community in ancient times. It is believed that these
people cleared away a tiny part of the forest, and made
the area their home. Evidence in the form of terracotta
figurines and ruined temples further corroborate the fact
that the Ramganga valley was the home of an ancient
civilisation.
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