The Royal Chitwan National Park is the first and most popular National Park in Nepal. It was given recognition by UNESCO in 1973 and granted it the status as a ‘World Heritage Site.’ It is found in the inner Terai lowlands in Chitwan district. Formerly a popular game reserve, many prime ministers and their entourage would camp in the park to hunt for a variety of animals such as leopards and rhinoceroses. In 1963, the south of the River Rapti was demarcated for the protection of rhinos and their habitat.
The Royal Chitwan National Park has a rich fauna and faura. It is home to a variety of animals including edangered ones like the one-horned rhinoceros, tigers, Gangetic dolphins and gharial crocodiles. About forty-three species of animals can be found here. The Bengal tiger is considered the ‘King of the Jungle’ in the Chitwan National Park. Aside from these, rhesus monkeys can also be seen here as well as hanuman langurs, Indian pangolins, Indian porcupines, and endgangered hispid hares. There are also four-hundred-fifty species of birds including the very rare Bengal florican, giant hornbill, black stork and white stork.
Bird watching is recommended especially during March and December. There are several lodges inside the Park that offers accommodation and travel packages. They also offer tour vehicles like jeeps and guided jungle trekking. A nearby village called Sauraha also offers accommodation at a slighly cheaper price than the lodges.
The Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal is home to very rare species of animals. If you are planning to travel and enjoy seeing animals roam in their natural habitat, this Park should be one of your target destinations.