Jim Corbett National Park: India's First, Established 1936

Jim Corbett National Park, located in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Pauri Garhwal districts, was established on August 8, 1936 as Hailey National Park—India's first national park. It was renamed in 1957 to honor Jim Corbett (1875–1955), the legendary hunter-turned-conservationist who tracked man-eating tigers/leopards and championed wildlife protection.

Key Milestones

• 1936: Established (323 km²) under United Provinces National Parks Act
• 1954–55: Expanded to 520 km²
• 1957: Renamed Jim Corbett National Park
• 1973: Became inaugural reserve under Project Tiger (India's tiger conservation program)
• 1991: Buffer zone added (Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, 301 km²) → Corbett Tiger Reserve (1,288 km² total)

Ecological Significance

• Tiger stronghold: ~250 tigers (2022 estimate); highest density in India
• Biodiversity: 580+ bird species, 50+ mammals (elephant, leopard, sloth bear, goral, sambar), 25 reptiles, 110 tree species
• Landscape: Shivalik foothills, Ramganga River reservoir, grasslands (chaurs), sal forests, riverine belts

Corbett's Legacy

Edward James "Jim" Corbett: Railway employee, colonel, hunter of 19 man-eaters (Champawat tigress: 436 deaths; Panar leopard: 400). Author (Man-Eaters of Kumaon, The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag). Advocate for national parks, camera-trap photography, community conservation. Died in Nyeri, Kenya; ashes scattered in Corbett Park.

Corbett Park isn't just India's first—it's the template for tiger conservation worldwide.