Jim Corbett national park is the oldest national park in India and was established in 1936 as Hailey national park to protect the endangered bengal tiger. It is located in nainital district of Uttarakhand and was named after Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment. The park was the first to come under the project tiger initiative. The park has sub-Himalayan belt geographical and ecological characteristics. An ecotourism destination, it contains 488 different species of plants and a diverse variety of fauna. The increase in tourist activities, among other problems, continues to present a serious challenge to the park's ecological balance.