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Wildlife in Jim Corbett National Park
Jim Corbett
National Park has a strong historical background, which can be traced
from the early 1800 when its forest were private property of the
rulers of the Terhi Garhwal.
Around the 1820's this part of the state was parted to the British
Rulers in return of the assistance provided during the Gurkha
invasion. The British exploited the timber potential of Corbett
National Park forest and mercilessly felled the forests and plant
'TEAK' a precious hardwood, to fulfill the supply for Railway
sleepers.
In 1858 the first step towards protection of Corbett National Park
forest was initiated by Major Ramseyin form of a comprehensive plan,
wherein farming and cattle intrusion were banned in the lower Patlidun
valley. The Forest Department took control of the area and declared it
as Reserve forest in 1879 under the forest act. Soon after the
condition of these forest showed improvement and possibilities of
forming a game sanctuary were proposed in the early 1900 by Michael
Keen an officer with the Forest Dept. The proposal was turned down by
the then Governor of The United Province John Hewett. More futile
attempts were made in the 1916 & 1917 by E.R. Stevens and Smythies,
both DFO's of the area to declare the sanctuary but were turned down.
In 1934 Governor Malcolm Hailey supported the proposal and declared
the reserve forest into a sanctuary. Soon after Governor Hailey and
Sir Smythies proposed the up gradation of the sanctuary to a national
park. During this period Major James E Corbett was getting famous for
his Man eating Tiger shoots. Corbett, who was well versed with area
was consulted and helped in marking the boundaries for the proposed
national park. On August 6th 1936, the UP national park act was
enacted and Hailey National Park - named after Governor Hailey, came
into being as India's first National Park and the worlds third
covering an area of about 325 sq. kms.
Post independence the park was renamed after the Ramganga River - the
main perennial lifeline of the area and was called the Ramganga
National Park. James E Corbett died on 19th April 1955 in Nyeri,
Kenya. In 1957 the park was again renamed, in honor of the legendary
hunter turned conversationalist, Jim Corbett who spent most his life
in the area and helped in setting up the park.
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