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Jungle Safari In Chitwan National Park
Nepal's first and
most famous national park is situated in the Inner Terai
lowlands of Chitwan. Covering an area of 932 sq. kilometers the
park includes hilly areas of the Shivalik Range covered by
deciduous trees. Parts of the park are floodplains of rivers
Narayani, Rapti, and the Reu, covered by dense tall elephant
grass, forests of silk cotton, acacia and Sisam trees.
Chitwan National Park was officially established in 1973 and
included as World Heritage Site in 1984.
The park in Chitwan is shelter to the last endangered Asian
species like the one-horned rhinoceros and the Royal Bengal
tiger. Other animals found here are the leopard, sloth bear,
wild boar, rhesus monkey, grey langur monkey, wild dog, small
wild cats, bison, the four species of deer and other small
animals. Marsh crocodiles inhabit the swampy areas. The Gangetic
crocodile that only feed on fish, are found in a stretch of the
River Narayani. Also found here is one of the four species of
fresh-water dolphins.
Chitwan park is also home to 450 species of bird and hence is
ideal for bird watching. Some of the resident specialties are
woodpeckers, hornbills, Bengal florican, red-headed trogons,
waterfowl, Brahminy duck, pintails and bareheaded geese. In
summer the forest is alive with nesting migrants such as the
fabulous paradise flycatcher, the Indian pitta and parakeets.
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Nepal
