Chitwan National Park

Nepal

World famous as one of the first parks to see tigers regularly in the 1970’s, the rich biodiversity of Chitwan National Park has earned its status as a World Heritage Site as one of the last surviving examples of the natural ecosystems of the Terai region. It was the country’s first National Park declared in 1973 and also holds within its boundary a Ramsar Wetland site, the Beezashari Lake. It is a treasure trove for nature enthusiasts and an early pioneer in some of the best practices in nature tourism and support for conservation.   In these forests, you will find a diversity of wildlife from the largest terrestrial mammal, the elephant, to the smallest, the pygmy shrew! It is most famous for one-horned rhinos and the Bengal tiger of which there are believed to be 120 at the last census. The park covers an area of 932 square kilometres between two East-West river valleys at the base of the Shiwalik range of the Himalayas.   Historically, Chitwan wa...s protected by Nepalese kings as it was the hunting ground for aristocrats. King George V and his son, the future Edward VIII, hunted here in 1911 and in just one safari killed 38 tigers and eighteen rhinos! Hunting has been long since banned and poaching activities have been brought under control due to relentless efforts by the government. There has been a recent revival in the population of tigers and herds of rhinos basking in the sun are once again a common sight. Read more