Royal Chitwan National Park

Location	Nepal
Nearest city	Kochi, India
Coordinates	27°30′″N, 84°20′″E
Area	932 km²
Established	1973
Visitation

Royal Chitwan National Park is situated in the flat lowland region of southern Nepal, just close to the Indian boundary. Royal Chitwan National Park is one of the most important sub-tropical parks on the Indian subcontinent with good populations of the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, Greater One-horned rhinos, Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica), Wild Asian elephant, Gaur, Golden Monitor lizard, Gharial crocodile and many more.

Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP), covering an area of 932 km², is the oldest national park of Nepal. Established in 1973, it was granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. The RCNP is located at the foot of the Himalayas in the Terai region, and the park is rich in flora and fauna, which include the last populations of single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros and the Bengal tiger.

The Royal Chitwan National Park is home to at least 43 species of mammals, 450 species of birds, and 45 species of amphibians and reptiles. A few of these animals include sambars, chitals, rhesus monkeys, and langurs.

The area used to be known as the Chitwan Valley. It was a place for big game hunting and until 1950 it was a hunting reserve. At the park there is canoeing, elephant rides, and guided jungle walks.

Sightseeing at Royal Chitwan

The park has a diverse ecosystems, which includes the Churia hills, ox-bow lakes, and the flood plains of the Rapti, Reu and Narayani Rivers. The Churia hills rise slowly towards the east from 150 m to more than 800 m. The western portion of the park consists of the lower but more rough Someshwor hills. The park shares its eastern boundary with the Parsa Wildlife Reserve.

The Flora
The Chitwan valley features tropical and subtropical forests. Sal forests cover 70% of the park. Grasslands is spread in the 20% of the total park area. There are more than 50 various types of grasses, including the elephant grass (Saccharum spp.), known for its height (can grow up to 8 m in height). The shorter grasses (Imperata spp.) are also found here.

The Fauna

The endangered fauna found in the park are - One-horned rhinoceros, Gaur, Royal Bengal tiger, Wild elephant, Fourhorned antelope, Pangolin, Gangetic dolphin.

The Avifauna
The birds found in this park are - Bengal florican, Lesser florican, Giant hornbill, Black stork, White stork, etc.

The Reptiles
The reptiles found here are - Gharial crocodile, Golden monitor lizard, Python, etc.

Royal Chitwan National Park

The Rides in the Royal Chitwan National Park

Elephant Safarai is the best way to explore the Royal Chitwan National Park. Elephant safari provides an opportunity to get a closer view of the endangered one-horned Rhinoceros. One may also get a glimpse of the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger.

Reaching Royal Chitwan

Air : There are daily flights from Kathmandu to Bharatpur.
Road : Chitwan is easily approachable from Kathmandu, which is well connected by national highway to Bharatpur and Saurana.