Chitwan (meaning Heart of the Jungle) National Park is in the south and South East of Nepal. It was established in 1973 by King Mahendra making it the first National Park in Nepal. Today, it is 932km2, and bordered by 2 mountains, and 3 rivers – the Narayani, the Rapti and the Riu.
It was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1984, and the Nepal government invest heavily in making sure that the animals are protected. 32 armed guard posts are dotted throughout the park, and have permission to shoot anyone who is found in the park between sunset and sunrise.
Wildlife is abundant in the park… 665 types of birds, snakes, crocodiles and alligators, deer, monkeys, wild boars, wild cattle, sloth bear, rhino, leopards and tigers can be found throughout.
The morning started with truck ride to a nature walk in the park to focus on birds and plants. The morning was cool and foggy, but we saw plenty of Ruddy Shelduck, who migrate from Siberia, and a few peacock in the trees.
We also saw plenty of evidence of Rhinos. Footprints in the sand by the river, and enormous piles of Rhino poo! It bode well for our safari this afternoon.
Mid morning was an Elephant talk. Elephants are owned by the government, and by private organisations, so our hotel has 3 that they use for safaris and conservation activities. They go out to the forest to roam free a couple of times each day, but we still struggle with the idea that they are tied up and used for tourism. Thankfully Intrepid is focused on animal welfare, so we weren’t expected to ride the elephants.
This elephant is about 8 foot tall and weighs about 3.5 tonne. She looks pretty good for 51!
This afternoon we hopped in the open Land Rovers and headed out for our safari.
Lots more fresh Rhino poo, but 2 hours later, the best we had spotted was more peacock, a couple of deer, and a jungle cat – try to pick it in the photo below. Even the safari guide couldn’t understand why we couldn’t find a rhino, so he called in help from the army patrol… Still no sighting.
Along the way, we also saw these ladies carrying piles of leaves. We’ve seen this a few times in Nepal, as the leaves are used to make ceremonial bowls. Apparently it’s illegal to take anything from the National Park, so I’m surprised they let us take their photo.
On to the Narayani River in a canoe, and we spotted plenty of ducks, a crocodile, and more rhino poo, but still no Rhino 🙁
Sunset… Our quest for the elusive rhino had to end. At least the common house ducks were out to play for the camera!
Tonight was a cultural dance presentation by the local Tharu people. The dance involved many people hitting large sticks together while dancing in a circle… Way too much coordination required for my liking! They managed to get everyone to join in, and it’s a good job that there isn’t a lot of photo evidence!
We leave Chitwan tomorrow, but have added another quick safari in the morning in the hope of spotting some more wildlife. Fingers crossed!
Love theBunch x
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