Know Your Jungle

The Corbett Tiger Reserve is situated in the Shivalik hills of Himalayas, spread over Pauri Garhwal, Nainital and Almora districts of Uttarakhand state in India. Ramnagar, in Nainital district is its administrative headquarter.  

• In 1936, the forest became the first National Park to be established in mainland Asia and was then named as the 'Hailey National Park' and later renamed as 'Corbett National Park' after James Edward Corbett the noted hunter turned conservationist of the area 
• The area became a key part of the Government of India's 'Project Tiger' in 1971
• Today, the total area of the reserve spans 1288.31 sq. kms , including an area of 521 sq. km that makes the  Corbett National Park
• The most famous of Corbett's wild residents are the Royal Bengal Tiger and the Asiatic Elephant. In addition to that with over 550 species of avifauna Corbett is one of the richest bird regions of the Country and has been declared as an 'Important Bird Area' (IBA) by Birdlife International

One of the few jungles in India that allow night stay inside the forest, CTR has the following safari/tourist zones. 

1. Dhikala (entry from Dhangarhi gate)
2. Bijrani (entry from Amdanda gate)
3. Jhirna (entry from Dhela gate)
4. Sonanadi (entry from Vatanvasa gate)
5. Durgadevi (entry from Durgadevi)
6. Dhela (entry from Dhela) 

• The Dhikala zone is by far the most sought after by tourists and wildlife enthusiasts thanks to its verdant landscape made up by picturesque grasslands and a stunning waterbody with the mighty Sal forest for the backdrop.
• Dhikala Ecotourism zone is open after monsoon on 15th of November for day visit (via Conducted Tours), while Durga Devi and Bijrani Zone open for day visits from 15th of October onwards. Jhirna and Dhela remain open throughout the year for day visits. The Bijrani ecotourism zone is also famous among the tourists for its beautiful Sal forest and expansive grasslands

• Please enter the Park only after taking the necessary permits and follow all the rules (Don't just take a hike by yourself and enter by foot - It's a bad idea)
• Nature Guides trained by the Park can be of great help in acquainting you with the jungle
• Drive slowly in the Park area. That way you can see, observe and enjoy the most 
• Don't get off specified roads and trails, as you  may trample young trees or startle animals
• Respect wild animals and maintain a safe distance from them. Remember, you are in their home and they get first priority  
• Don't play loud music in the forest and its vicinity. If you like DJ nights, stay in the city. The quieter you are, the more your chances are of seeing wildlife  
• Wear dull-colored clothes. Bright colors alarm most wild animals . Do not smoke or light campfires in the forest. Accidental fires can destroy this wonderful jungle in no time
• Don’t get off your vehicle at any point in the Park except where it’s allowed. This is for your own safety and the safety of wildlife
• Don’t expect to see wildlife everywhere. Corbett is breathtaking even in its scenery.  Do not be disappointed if you don’t see a tiger. There are many other interesting creatures that are to be seen and cherished
• Don't carry alcohol or non vegetarian food inside the park
• Don't litter. Please carry your trash with you or dispose in a designated area

The Corbett Tiger Reserve is situated in a tropical moist to dry deciduous forest, which in layman's term means a forest that drops leaves in winter or early spring.

The vegetation comprises of Sal and mixed forests, interspersed with grasslands and riparian vegetation. There are more than 110 tree and 51 shrub species. The habitat is characterized by open meadows (chaurs -- a result of abandoned human settlements) interspersed with Sal and moist mixed deciduous forests. 

Key Details:

Sal Forest is a type dominated by a single plant species, commonly known as Sal tree (Shorea robusta). It belongs to the category 'Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest'. The distribution of Sal forests is controlled by the conditions of topography, geology, and soil Sal (Shorea robusta) is perhaps the second most important timber tree (after teak) in the Indian subcontinent. The timbers are of two main types, white and red meranti

Bali Flower (Plumeria flowers) are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers yield no nectar, however, and simply trick their pollinators. The moths inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.[5]. Insects or human pollination can help create new varieties of plumeria. Plumeria trees from cross pollinated seeds may show characteristics of the mother tree or their flowers might just have a totally new look 

Kusum is a beautiful tree with a broad, shady crown, found widespread in Tropical Himalayas India, Ceylon, Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Malaysia. This tree is mostly noticed because of its bright red leaves when they are new. In India this happens around March. The leaves are pinnate, with each leaf having 2-4 pairs of leaflets. Flowers are tiny,  occurring in short dense yellow clusters. The flowers are hardly noticeable. The fruit is about the size of a small plum

Mohwa (Mahua) is one of the most important of Indian forest trees, not because it may possess valuable timber - and it is hardly ever cut for this purpose - but because of its delicious and nutritive flowers. Most of the leaves fall from February to April, and during that time the musky-scented flowers appear. The two major species of genus Madhuca found in India are Madhuca Indica (syn. Bassia latifolia) and Madhuca longifolia (syn.Brassica longifolia)

Jasminum sambac is an evergreen vine or shrub reaching up to 0.5 to 3 m (1.6 to 9.8 ft) tall. The leaves are ovate, 4 to 12.5 cm (1.6 to 4.9 in) long and 2 to 7.5 cm (0.79 to 2.95 in) wide. Lush foliage on vine-like growth with intensely fragrant, little white flowers that open at night and close in the morning, fading to pink as they age. Widely grown in the tropics as an ornamental plant and for its strongly scented flowers. Use in containers near patios and entryways where the fragrance can be enjoyed. A frost-tender evergreen. 

While the Royal Bengal Tiger is the most famous star of CTR, the forest is home to a plethora of other animals that are key to the survival of its principal resident.

Key Members:

The chital or cheetal (Axis axis), also known as spotted deer or axis deer, is a species of deer that is native in the Indian subcontinent. The species was first described by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777. A moderate-sized deer, male chital reach nearly 90 centimetres (35 in) and females 70 centimetres (28 in) at the shoulder. While males weigh 30–75 kilograms (66–165 lb), the lighter females weigh 25–45 kilograms (55–99 lb). The species is sexually dimorphic: males are larger than females, and antlers are present only on males. The upper parts are golden to rufous, completely covered in white spots. The abdomen, rump, throat, insides of legs, ears and tail are all white. The antlers, three-pronged, are nearly 1 metre (3.3 ft) long

Jackals are medium-sized omnivorous mammals of the genus Canis, which also includes wolves, coyotes and the domestic dog. While the word "jackal" has historically been used for many small canids, in modern use it most commonly refers to three species: the closely related black-backed jackal and side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of south-central Eurasia, which is more closely related to other members of the genus Canis

The Royal Bengal Tiger or the Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is known to be the largest and most powerful sub spices of the cat family. Bengal tigers are mostly found in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma and China. Despite their heavy body, Royal Bengal Tigers can climb trees for their prey even though they are not made for climbing. The National animal of India – the Royal Bengal Tiger are great swimmers and they have developed this skill because of their habitat 

Asian paradise flycatcher is a Schedule – IV bird, according to wildlife (Protection) act, 1972 and classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN. Asian paradise flycatcher is a beautiful bird. Size of adult Asian paradise flycatcher is between 18 to 22 cm. The length of the tail (adult male) is between 20 to 24 cm, with two central tail feathers growing up to 30 cm long drooping streamers. They have a wingspan of 86 cm. to 92 cm. Males occur in two morphs, one with a rufous or glossy chestnut upper plumage and another with a white or dirty white plumage. The edges of the wings and tail feathers are sometimes black. Head of Asian paradise flycatcher is glossy black with a glossy black crown and crest

Asiatic elephants. India is home to the largest number of this species. The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), also called Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west. Asian Elephants differ in many ways from their African relatives – they are smaller in size with smaller ears, and the back of the Indian elephant is more rounded making the crown of the head the highest point of the body

If you made it as far as this section, then you are, for sure, on the way to becoming an Indian jungle aficionado.