CORBETT NATIONAL PARK

national park in Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. Extending over an area of 201 sq mi (521 sq km) and established as Hailey National Park in 1935, it was first renamed Ramganga in 1954 and then Corbett in 1957, in memory of Jim Corbett, a well-known British sportsman and writer. Located in the foothills of the Himalayas about 36 mi (50 km) northwest of Ramnagar town, the park consists mainly of the broad Patlidoon Valley, through which the Ramganga River flows in a westerly direction. The forest cover includes sal (Shorea), teak, oak, silver fir, spruce, cypress, and birch. The park was established mainly for the protection of the tiger; it is there that India's Project Tiger was established (1973) to provide protection for tigers in the national parks. Langur, sloth bear, Indian gray mongoose, jungle cat, elephant, wild boar, barking deer, nilgai, black kile, shikra, Indian whitebacked vulture, black partridge, red jungle fowl, and peafowl are also found in the park. It has roads for elephant rides and machan, or observation posts. A reed forest was planted to afford natural cover for the animals, and a large man-made lake on the western side of the park is used for sport fishing.