As per Corbett Tiger Reserve records, nearly 2.1 million tourists visited the reserve till March this year. The CTR remains open to visitors from November 15 to June 15. During this season, the reserve earned Rs. 70 million in lieu of permit and rest house fees. The reserve is sprawled in an area over 1,200 square kilometres around Nainital and Pauri Garhwal districts. The depleting number of tigers had prompted the union government to launch the ambitious 'Project Tiger' in 1973 in Corbett National Park.
As per a report in HT, in the past 39 years, Project Tiger seems to have worked as CTR boasts a healthy population of big cats. According to the tiger census conducted in 2009 by Wildlife Institute in India, 102 tigers were sighted in CTR and 164 in the entire 'Corbett landscape'.
"The ongoing census figures suggest that tiger population is further increasing as 176-180 big cats were sighted at CTR and 240 tigers sighted in the Corbett landscape," said director CTR, RK Mishra.
Even as the tiger population increases in and around CTR, tourism activity has also witnessed a surge around Ramnagar.
In the last one decade, CTR has rapidly transformed into a multi-million 'venture' with the realty investors pumping money to encash the mad rush of tourists, who are in return ready to shelve money to get a glimpse of the big cat, which has apparently become a saleable brand.
Villages like Dhikuli, Mohan, Bailparao and Marchula, nestled on the other side of the CTR, are the new addresses for tourists visiting Corbett.
Over the years, resorts have mushroomed in these villages, which promise every amenity to tourists with deep pockets. Bars, swimming pools, safari rides, discotheques and conference halls are some of the facilities most resorts promise.
"CTR also boasts more than 450 species of birds, hundreds of Asiatic elephants, a number of other wild animals and reptiles but it is the tiger which is the focus of visitors and business community as well," says Anup Sah, a Nainital-based wildlife photographer and also member of the Uttarakhand Wildlife Board.
Interestingly, almost every resort has put up tiger pictures inside and has printed lots of tiger pictures in its publicity material. Some of the resorts are also running NGOs to conserve wildlife and big cats.
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