Jim Corbett National Park Is the First National Park in India. It was established in 1936 in the Nainital district of present-day Uttrakhand. It is also India’s 9th largest National Park.
As mentioned above, Jim Corbett National Park was established in 1936 as the First National Park in India. It was initially known as Hailey National Park, named after William Malcolm Hailey, who was a British Civil Servant and served as Governor of Punjab (1924 – 1928) and the United Provinces (1928 – 1934).
The name was changed to Jim Corbett National Park in 1956 after the famous naturalist, hunter, and tracker Jim Corbett. He is considered a saviour of many people as he was called upon in the British era to tame and kill man-eater leopards and tigers in the United Provinces. He has also authored numerous books on the subject, including the famous Man-Eaters of Kumaon (1944), Jungle Stories (1935) and Jungle Lore (1953).
First National Park in India and Asia
The Jim Corbett National Park is not only the first National Park in India but also the first National Park in Asia. It is spread in an area of 520.8 km2 or 1,28,692.48 acres. It consists of hills, riverine belts, marshy depressions etc. Most of the area under the national park is covered by forest while 10 percent of the area is grassland.
The Sona Nadi Wildlife Sanctuary and reserve woods are located in the buffer zone, while the main area makes up the Corbett National Park. The entire reserve is mountainous and is located in the geological provinces of the Shivalik and Outer Himalaya. The main rivers that flow through the Reserve are Ramganga, Sonanadi, Mandal, Palain, and Kosi.
The First National Park in India Jim Corbett National Park is also the place where Project Tiger, an initiative by the Indira Gandhi Government, was launched in 1973. The aim of the project is to conserve the population and the habitat of the Bengal Tiger, and protect it from extinction. As a result of the project, the number of Royal Bengal Tigers increased from 163 in the year 1973 to 3346 in the year 2018.
The Jim Corbett National Park, besides being the first national park established in India, houses a large variety of Flora and Fauna. Corbett is home to 600 types of plants, including trees, shrubs, grass, ferns, climbers, bamboo, and herbs, according to the Botanical Survey of India. Sal forests make up more than 75% of Corbett’s total land area.
In addition to the Royal Bengal Tiger, it is also home to a substantial population of the severely endangered Gharial and the endangered Asiatic elephant. Asiatic Black Bear, Sloth Bear, Walking Deer, Hog Deer, Sambar, and other mammals are among them. There are also around 600 different kinds of birds, like the great, white-Backed Vulture, Hodgson’s bush chat, pied hornbill, and reptiles including Mugger Crocodiles and the King Cobra.
One of the thirteen protected places included in the Terai Arc Landscape Program of the World Wide Fund For Nature is the Jim Corbett National Park. Through the restoration of forest corridors that connect 13 protected areas in Nepal and India and allow for wildlife migration, the initiative seeks to safeguard three of the five terrestrial flagship species: the tiger, the Asian elephant, and the great one-horned rhinoceros.
According to a report titled “Status of Tigers Co-predators and Prey in India” published by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for 2018–19, the national park has the highest density of tigers in India at 14 per 100 square kilo meters.
India currently has 105 national parks, which together encompass 44,378 km2 (17,134 sq mi), or 1.35 percent of the country’s total area (National Wildlife Database, Dec. 2020). Along with the aforementioned, 75 more National Parks totalling 16,608 km2 (6,412 sq mi) are suggested in the Protected Area Network Report.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Ques 1) Which is the First National Park in India?
Ans) Jim Corbett National Park is the First National Park in India
Ques 2) When was the First National Park established in India?
Ans) The First National Park in India – Jim Corbett National Park – was established in the year 1936
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