The popular Jim Corbett National Park, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, hosts a wide variety of flora and fauna. The prime attractions of this mystical jungle include the Royal Bengal Tiger, the elusive leopards, the mighty tuskers, the timid swift-fleeting hog deer among several others.

Every trip we take to these mesmerising jungles leaves us spellbound and hungry for more! This blog is our humble attempt to portray the magnificent wildlife in Corbett.

Situated in the district of Nainital, these breathtaking jungles, teeming with wildlife, lure many travellers every year with the promise of peace, a tryst with India’s most iconic species and moments full of surprises! This wild haven is a two and half hour drive away from its closest city - Dehradun.

Read our blog ‘How to reach Jim Corbett’ to know how to reach Corbett most efficiently. This forest boasts a plethora of wildlife species and never ceases to amaze wildlife lovers and photographers. For many, it is their undisputed favourite forest reserve! So let us guide you through the diverse wildlife in Jim Corbett.

Mammals of Jim Corbett

Tigers of Corbett

From all the Jim Corbett National Park animals, the main attraction for people on safari in Corbett is perhaps the tiger. The breathtaking scenes of Corbett make a tiger sighting an extremely thrilling affair. There have been some iconic moments captured forever by photographers such as a tiger crossing the pristine Ramganga river or emerging out of Dhikala’s tall grasses!

Tigers are apex predators and their role in the ecosystem is to ensure that the predator-prey ratio is healthy and is maintained.

Tigers are fiercely territorial and need a safe territory to hunt and mate. Tigresses rearing cubs need a safe haven to hide their offspring from stranger males. Tiger cubs separate themselves from their mother after 2 or 2 and half years and go their ways in search of a territory of their own.

Before attaining maturity and independence, if the cubs cross paths with any tiger other than the one that has sired them, they are almost certain to be killed. The stranger male kills the cubs to get the female back into oestrus so he can father his own cubs and ensure his genes are passed on.

Over the years, Jim Corbett has produced some amazing tigers and tigresses. To know more about these charismatic big cats, read our blog ‘Tigers of Jim Corbett’.

Today, Uttarakhand is home to India’s third largest tiger population and the Jim Corbett National Park provides refuge to over 250 individual tigers.

Leopards in Corbett

Leopards are opportunistic hunters that can adapt to a wide range of habitats, from rainforests to deciduous forests. They are also found in hilly and rocky areas and open grasslands as well as incredibly close to human habitation! Their fur helps in camouflaging them perfectly to their surroundings.

Uttarakhand hosts a large population of leopards as the rugged, hilly terrains suit them ideally. They are crepuscular animals who are comfortable in the canopy of the trees, or sitting in shadowy caves, perfectly blended, which makes it super tough for human eyes to sight them.

Jungle cat

Also called reed cat and swamp cat, the jungle cat is a medium-sized cat that is extremely elusive. Jungle cats, like all cats, have acutely sharp senses. They have a sandy, reddish-brown coat and they are often hidden under dense vegetation thus very rarely spotted during safaris in Jim Corbett.

These cats generally feed on rodents and small birds. Sometimes, they take on snakes and small amphibians! They are also preyed on by leopards, jackals, bears, crocodiles and snakes!

The jungle cat is a solitary cat, but mothers with a litter of two to three kittens are also occasionally sighted. If you are riding on a huge happy wave of luck, you can cross paths with this unique small cat species. If it happens, consider yourself fortunate and blessed!

Leopard Cat

Another very elusive medium-sized cat known to exist in Jim Corbett is the leopard cat. The leopard cat is about the size of a domestic cat, but its body is more slender and its legs are longer, with well-articulated webs between its toes. It is easily differentiated and recognised by its prominent dark stripes running from its eyes to its ears and its body marked with black spots of different sizes.

The leopard cat is known to live in forests in the foothills of the Himalayas. They are generally solitary cats that pair up during the breeding season. They are more active under the cover of the night and hunt murids, rats, tree shrews and hares. They are extremely agile and at ease in dense undergrowth and in the canopy too.

Spotting one of these super shy cats in Jim Corbett is an extremely lucky occurrence!

Fishing Cat

Perhaps the most timid and elusive creature among Jim Corbett National Park animals is the fishing cat. The fishing cat lives close to wetlands, rivers, streams, lakes, swamps and mangroves. Like the leopard cat, it too has two stripes running from its eyes to the back of its head. One can differentiate it with its small rounded ears. Its tail is half the length of its body and its fur is layered as a mechanism to keep itself warm as it is constantly in and out of water.

The fishing cat is known to be nocturnal and its home is always near water. Its main prey is fish and its diet is substituted occasionally with birds, insects, rodents, snakes, and amphibians. There have also been records of it feeding on the carrion of domestic cattle!

Unfortunately, this species is under threat because of poaching, habitat loss and wetland pollution.

Wild dogs (Dholes) in Corbett

Also known as Asiatic wild dogs or Indian wild dogs, dholes live in packs and their social bonds are very strong. Unity and strength are key for them to operate successfully as they take down prey which is usually double their size to suffice the entire pack. They are fierce hunters with powerful canines and they usually attack their prey from behind and bite out chunks of meat from their softer rears and under-belly and bring the animal down. One or two dholes take the lead and chase the prey while the rest maintain a steady pace behind. As one individual tires, the other overtakes and keeps the relentless sprinting pace to finally outrun their prey.

Their gentle appearance must not be mistaken for them being amicable. They are usually spotted in packs of two to ten individuals in Corbett.  

Asiatic jackals

Also known as the golden jackal, Asiatic jackals have an elongated body, a small but thick, bushy tail, short legs and a pointed muzzle. The colour of their coat changes from yellowish-golden in the summer to a darker tawny shade in the winter.

Asiatic jackals can be spotted alone, but are often sighted in pairs. Once you spot them on the road, they usually stay on the road for some time before darting away into the undergrowth.

One can easily differentiate them from dholes from the colour of their coat or their tails!

Himalayan Black Bear

The Himalayan black bear is a subspecies of the Asian black bear. This species has a thick black coat and white chest mark. Adult males can weigh up to 300 kgs!
Himalayan black bears feed on acorns, nuts, fruits, honey, roots and also supplement their diet with termites, beetles and insect larvae! They reach sexual maturity when they are three years of age and females give birth to two cubs usually. They are most often born in spring and stay with their mother well into their second year.

These bears are spotted in Jim Corbett during the warmer months when they descend the Himalayan slopes. In the colder months, they spend more time in the higher ranges and are less often sighted.

Sloth bear

Sloth bears are endemic to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Their diet primarily consists of termites and ants which they dig out of the ground or from under barks of trees with the help of their long claws. They are also known to consume fruits and are attracted to mango trees during the season.

They breed during the spring or early summer when the forests still offer them plenty of food. Their cubs are born at the beginning of winter. Unlike other bear species, they routinely carry their cubs on their backs. This is their most unique attribute. Their other famous characteristics are their long snouts and they too have a ‘V’ shaped white patch on their chest!

Elephants

Perhaps, one of the most coveted of all Jim Corbett National Park animals is the Asian elephant. Asian elephants are the largest terrestrial mammals on the continent and Jim Corbett National Park is one of the best places to spot them and spend time with them.

Most commonly known for their excellent memory, these gentle giants are herbivores and excellent seed dispersers. They ingest and defecate seeds, some of which germinate. Their dung also provides food to other animals such as monkeys and dung beetles. They create water holes that are used by other animals when they dig for water during a drought.

Over the years, photographers have made some amazing images of elephants, especially in the Dhikala zone. Elephants love sand baths and also use their trunks to spray dust over their backs. So, photographers can make some aesthetic images using the golden hour light to capture this behaviour!

Asian elephants can be differentiated from African elephants, most noticeably, by the size of their ears. The Jim Corbett National Park is home to over 600 individuals!

Spotted deer

Arguably the most common species of the wildlands of India, the spotted deer or chital is a herbivorous species native across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. They are most often seen in large numbers, feeding on the green carpet of the forest. They are always vigilant and let out alarm calls at the slightest sign of danger. Many times, these are not distress calls and there is no real danger of any predators in the vicinity.  But they are often hunted down by tigers, leopards and dholes.

Sambar deer

Sambar deer are larger than spotted deer and they are of a light brown or greyish colour. They feed on grass shoots and foliage. Because of their softer meat and more suitable size, they are the tiger’s favourite prey. These hefty creatures weigh about 200 kgs when they attain adulthood and provide for a sumptuous meal for the big cats and even a pack of dholes.

Barking deer

The Indian muntjac, also called the barking deer, is a quiet, solitary, leaf-eating deer species. Barking deer are very shy and most often disappear into the undergrowth after offering only a fleeting glimpse to their visitors. Not too much is known about them and studies are being conducted. They too fall under the prey base for big cats and dholes.

Hog Deer

Another quiet and shy species of deer found in Corbett is the hog deer. It is called so because of its hog-like manner of running and scampering, ducking under obstacles instead of leaping over them like other deer species.

Hog deer have a thick dark brown coat and their underparts are of a lighter colour. In summer, the coat becomes a more reddish-brown colour. Big cats and dholes are known to prey on them and like any deer, they remain ever-vigilant and scamper with their tails up when alarmed!

Himalayan Goral

The Himalayan goral is a bovid species that is unfortunately on the decline due to habitat loss and hunting for meat.

Himalayan gorals have a greyish brown coat with lighter legs and patches on their throats. Males and females have backward curving horns which can grow to about 20 cm. They are generally often found in small herds of four to twelve individuals, but are also occasionally sighted in pairs.

These creatures are known to be crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk; they spend the day resting under a rocky ledge. They feed on shoots of grass and other plants and are extremely agile and swift. Also, they are very well camouflaged and are difficult to sight!

Indian grey mongoose

Endemic to the Indian subcontinent and West Asia, the Indian grey mongoose is usually spotted alone or in pairs. They are a bold and inquisitive species but seldom venture too far away from their hide. They are most famously known for their ability to combat and bring down venomous snakes.

They mainly feed on snakes, small rodents, eggs and hatchlings and invertebrates. They breed across the year.

The Indian grey mongoose is the state animal of Chandigarh.

Yellow-throated martens

The yellow-throated marten is native to Asia and is the largest marten of the Old World. The noticeable feature in these martens is their tail which makes up more than half the length of their body!

Yellow-throated martens are omnivorous and they feed on fruit, nectar and on rodents, small reptiles and even birds! They actively patrol their territory and some are known to even cover 10 - 15 km in a single day or night! They are known to hunt in groups of two to three individuals.

These creatures are adept on the ground as well as in the canopy and are also able to jump 8 to 10 metres between branches!

Smooth-Coated Otters

Another feisty creature among Jim Corbett animals is the smooth coated otter. These otters are differentiated from their cousins by their more rounded head and hairless nose which is of the shape of a distorted diamond. They have short powerful legs with large webbed feet.

Smooth-coated otters live in groups of about a dozen individuals and establish their dens under tree roots or boulders. They are always around the banks of rivers or other water bodies. They are predominantly piscivorous and sometimes feed on rodents. Snakes, amphibians and insects make up only a fraction of their diet.

Sadly, their numbers have been dwindling, but Jim Corbett remains to be one of their few remaining strongholds.

Macaques (Monkeys)

Along with chitals, perhaps, the most easily sighted and most common animals in Jim Corbett are the Rhesus macaques and the Grey langurs.  

Rhesus macaques are diurnal animals and are terrestrial and highly social. Their groups can range from 20 - 200 individuals! They are mostly herbivorous and their food chiefly consists of fruits, seeds and roots. There have also been records of them eating termites, grasshoppers and beetles. They have pouch-like pockets in their cheeks that allow them to hoard food.

Another common denizen of the wildlands of central India is the Grey langur. Also known as Hanuman langur, these monkeys are Old World Monkeys native to the Indian subcontinent. These langurs have a grey coat with black faces and limbs and a long slender tail.

Indian langurs are primarily herbivorous and are known to sound the alarm at the sight of an approaching predator. They too are social animals and live in a strict hierarchical structure.

Indian pangolin

The Indian pangolin also called thick-tailed pangolin and scaly anteater is a pangolin native to the Indian subcontinent. Like other pangolins, the Indian pangolin has overlapping scales on its body which act as a shield. When attacked by a predator, the pangolin curls itself into a ball as a form of self-defence!

The Indian Pangolin is an insectivore, feeding primarily on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its forelimbs! It is predominantly a nocturnal creature and rests in deep burrows during the day.

Unfortunately, it is one of the most trafficked mammals on Earth and is hunted for its meat and various body parts used in traditional medicine. As a result, it is not commonly sighted anywhere in its range.

Birds of Corbett

Birds form a large part of the wildlife in Jim Corbett. In fact, the park hosts over 1000 species of birds, making it an ideal bird lover's paradise! Many of these birds can be seen all year round, but the best time to spot the migratory winged wonders is between October and January.

Corbett is home to ducks, grebes, teals, raptors, hornbills and the list goes on and on. Some of the commonly sighted birds at Corbett are Indian peafowls, woodpeckers, green bee-eaters, ospreys, common blue kingfishers, jungle fowls and the like. And the rare birds include red-headed vultures, kalij pheasant, brown dippers, wall creepers, black francolin, grey-headed fish eagles, etc.

We have a separate blog specifically dedicated to the birds of Corbett. If you are interested to know more, read it here!

Reptiles of Corbett

The Jim Corbett National Park also sustains a large number of reptiles. Perhaps, the most commonly sighted are the mugger crocodiles, lazing at the bay of the Ramganga river. The other remarkable species include gharials, monitor lizards, tortoises, king cobras, vipers and the Indian rock python.

Really, Jim Corbett is a thriving haven of stunning wildlife species!

Wildlife of Jim Corbett - Summary

With such an amazing array of wildlife species, the Jim National Park is one of the most popular and frequented forest reserves of India. Best known for its beautiful scenery, Jim Corbett is home to several jewelled species of natural history, including mammals, birds, and reptiles!

Spotting any animal against the diverse backdrops of this wondrous forest at the foothills of the ageless Himalayas is a sight to behold! It is as if time stands still and there is an ethereal connection between oneself and the species being observed. The few moments of silence, the fresh air that caresses one’s face and the exhilaration of catching a trail and a glimpse of the big cat are ineffable feelings!

Why not experience all this soon? What better way to feel revitalised than being cradled by nature’s lap?

To learn more about the best time to visit Jim Corbett, read our blog ‘What is the best time to visit Jim Corbett?’

Disclaimer: We have only highlighted some species of animals in this blog. We must admit Jim Corbett is home to an abundance of flora and fauna, including insects, wildflowers, plants, and other species. As a jungle safari is the means of exploring the Jim Corbett National Park animals, we have limited this blog to mammals, birds and reptiles which can be sighted when on safari.

If we have missed anything, please do let us know in the comments!