Chitwan
National Park (‘Chitwan’ means "in the heart of the jungle’) covers 932
sq. km. in the flat lowland region of southern Nepal. It is one of the
most important sub-tropical parks on the Indian subcontinent with
populations of more than 43 species of mammals in the park. The park is
especially renowned
for its protection of the endangered one- hornedrhinoceros, tiger, and
gharialcrocodile along with many othercommon species of wild animal.
The estimated population of rhinos is 400. The park also secures
populations of endangered species such as gaur, wild elephant, four
horned antelope, striped hyena, pangolin, Gangetic dolphin, monitor
lizard, and python.
Some of the other animals found in the park are sambar, chital, hog deer, barking deer, sloth
deer, common leopard, ratel, palm civet, wild dog, langur and rhesus
monkeys. There are over 450 species of birds in the park. Among the
endangered birds are the Bengal florican, giant hornbill, lesser
florican, black stork and white stork. A few of the common birds seen
are peafowl, red jungle fowl, and different species of egrets, herons, kingfishers, flycatchers and woodpeckers. The best times for bird watching are in March and December.
More than 45 species of amphibians and reptiles are found in the park,
some of which are the marsh mugger crocodile, cobra, green pit viper
and various species of frogs and tortoises. The park is actively
engaged in the scientific study of several species of wild flora and
fauna.
The Chitwan region has had a long
history of conservation. For many years it was the Royal hunting
grounds for the Kings and dignitaries of Nepal and therefore was not
hunted by the general public. It did however become a favorite spot for
big game safari hunters in the late nineteenth and early to
mid-twentieth centuries. This was coupled with a surge in local human
populations following the development of anti-malaria medicines in the
mid-twentieth century. The long-term effect was a drastic decrease in
jungle habitat and animal populations in the Chitwan valley as jungles
were converted to farmland and big game were hunted and poached to
dangerously low numbers. The falling rhino (less than 200) and tiger
(less than 30) populations in the present park region, focused
attention on the Chitwan region and in 1963 the southern two-thirds of
the park were declared rhino sanctuary. With sanctuary status began the
relocation of 22,000 people from the Chitwan valley and a moratorium on
hunting. Since 1963 wildlife populations and ecosystems have been
rebounding. In 1973 Chitwan became Nepal’s first National Park. The
relatively pristine state of the modern park and its unique ecosystems
prompted UNESCO to declare the park a World Heritage site in 1984.
Within
the park lie the Churia hills, ox-bow lakes, and the flood plains of
Rapti, Reu and Narayani Rivers. The Churia hills rise gradually towards
the east from 150m. to over 800m elevation. The lower but more rugged
Someshwor hills occupy most of the western portion of the park. The
flood plains of Chitwan contain rich alluvial soils. The park
boundaries have been delineated by the Narayani and Rapti Rivers in the
north and west, and the Reu river and Someshwor hills in the south and
south-west. It shares its eastern border with the Parsa Wildlife
Reserve.
The park is influenced by a
tropical monsoon climate with relatively high humidity. Winter, spring
and monsoon are the three main seasons. The cool winter season occurs
from October to February. Spring begins in March and is soon followed
summer that ends in early June. Summer days are typically hot with up
to an average 30C daytime temperature. The monsoon usually begins at
the end of June and continues until September. The mean annual rainfall
is about 21-50 mm. and during this time of the year rivers are flooded
and most of the roads are virtually impassable.
The
Chitwan Valley is characterized by tropical to sub-tropical forest.
Roughly 70% of park vegetative cover is sal (shorea robusta) forest, a
moist deciduous vegetation type of the Terai region. The remaining
vegetation types include: grassland (20%), riverine forest (70%), and
sal with chirpine (pinus roxburghii) (3%) forest, the latter occurring
at the tops of the Churia range. The riverine forests consist mainly of
khair, sissoo, and simal. The simal has a spiny bark when young and
develops buttresses at the bottom in older stages. The grasslands form
a diverse and complex community with over 50 species.
Tour Program for Chitwan National Park
From the comforts of one of several Jungle Lodges and/or Tented Camps
set in Nepal's famous National parks of Chitwan and Bardia, enjoy
elephant-back safari to look for the rare great one horned rhinoceros,
elusive tigers, leopards, crocodiles, bears, many species of deer,
monkeys and many rare & exotic animals & birds. Take nature
walks to experience a ground-level encounter with the armor-plated
one-horned rhinoceros and follow tiger tracks through the thick
sub-tropical jungles with trained local naturalists. Jeep drives
through the park and boat rides down the rivers are also included.
Birdwatchers will be awarded with many rare species that make up the
400 plus species recorded in the parks.
Choose
from many comfortable jungle lodges and tented camps from which to
enjoy the wildlife of the rich natural wonderland situated at the foot
of the Himalayan peaks of Nepal.
