WILDLIFE SAFARI IN NEPALRoyal Chitwan National Park/ Royal Bardia National Park/ Bird Watching Tours CHITWAN NATIONAL PARKWith its lush forests and exotic fauna which include the rare one horned rhino, t he Royal Bengal tiger, crocodiles, elephants, deer and o ver four-hundred species of birds, the Royal Chitwan National Park offers one of the finest wildlif e exper ience in Asia. Lying in the Terai belt, encompassed by the Churia Hills and flanked by he Rapti, Reu and Narayani rivers, the parkcovers an area of 932 sq. km. It was established in 1973 and is the oldest National Park in Nepal. The park became a World Heritage Site in 1984. During the late 19th centur y, Chitwan was the private hunting reserve of the Ra na Prime Ministers. In 1911, King George V led a hunting party to Chitwan and is said to have shot thirty- seven tigers and eight rhinos. Between 1933 and 1940, the King and his guests, is said to have killed four hundred and t hirty-three ti gers and fifty-three rhinos. By the late 1960s the pop ulati on of rhinos and tigers in Chitwan had dwindled drastically due to indiscrimi nate hunt ing and poaching. The declarat ion of Chitwan as a national park in1973 and the imposition of strict measures against poaching and unauthorized conversion of forest to farmland have helped in increasing the wildlife population. At present Chitwan Nat ional Park is regarded as one o f the most developed and most frequently visi ted o f Nepal¶s national parks. Local vegetationThe park¶s vegetation is dominated by sal forest, open grassland sand riverine vegetation. There are also flowering species of trees like the sissoo, sil k cotton tree and flame of the forest. These trees bloom from January to early spring and fill the forest with their colorful flowers. The tall elephant grass dominates the grass grassland and gives it a savanna like appearance. WildlifeThe park is the ho me of the great one- ho rned Indian rhino, the world¶s third largest land mammal. They feed large on grass which is also their normal habitat and move a lone or in groups. The elephants seen frequently at the park are trained and tamed. The tamed elephants are used for elephant rides as well as to carry heavy loads in Chitwan . The Royal Bengal tiger, the most glamourous and elusive of Chitwan¶s animals, is estimated to number just about a hundred in Chitwan. They are by nature reclusive and do not attack unless provoked or hunting for food. There are four different species of deer living in the park - the barking deer, the hog deer, t he sambar deer and the spotted deer. Over 400 different birds have been recorded here, including the Indian peafowl, the tu neful blackheaded oriole and the o penbill stork. The park¶s rivers and the swampy areas are home to various reptiles like the pythons, crocodiles, called gharial, which feeds on fishes and the marsh mugger. The common leopard, langur and rhesus monkey also make up the park¶s wildlife pop ulation. Things to do& Places to VisitThe greatest thrill while at Chitwan is the trad itional elephant ride. Taking an elephant ride to the jungle is an experience not to be missed. The lodges inside the park have their own elephants.
