| WILD LIFE VISITS
ROYAL CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK
ROYAL BARDIA NATIONAL PARK
KOSHI TAPPU WILDLIFE RESERVE
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ROYAL
CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK
Royal Chitwan National Park, the oldest national park in
Nepal, is situated in the subtropical inner Terai lowlands of South
Central Nepal. The park has an area of 932 square kilometers. The
park was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1984. The park is
just a short detour off the Prithvi Highway. The name Chitwan means
heart of the jungle. In recent years has park has risen meteorically
on the lists of the Things to do in Nepal.
The park covers a pristine area with a unique ecosystem
of significant value to the world. It contains the Churiya hills,
ox-bow lakes and flood plains of Rapti, Reu and Narayani rivers.
The Sal forests dominate the vegetation of the park. The grasslands
form a diverse and complex community with over 50 species, the Sacchurun
species, often called elephant grass, can reach 8m in height. The
park boasts of more than 43 species of mammals, 45 species of amphibians
and reptiles and 450 species of birds in the park. The park is renowned
for endangered animals along with many other common species.
Activities at Chitwan are a major attraction for
all tourists. The elephant back safari through the park to see the
animals is a special attraction. A canoe ride on the Rapti river
with crocodiles passing by is unmistakably the greatest jungle experience.
Visits to the elephant breeding farm, the Tharu village and early
morning bird watching would leave you with memories to last forever.
Other places to visit around Chitwan are: Ghatgain,
Jagatpur, Twenty Thousand Lakes (Bis Hazar Taal) and Meghauli.
Access: Daily tourist
buses from Kathmandu and Pokhara are economical and standard way
of getting there. There are flights from Kathmandu to Bharatpur,
the nearest airport, a short 15km, drive gets you to the park.
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ROYAL
BARDIA NATIONAL PARK
Royal Bardia National Park is situated in the mid far western
Terai, east of the Karnali River. The area of the park is 968 square
kilometers. It is the largest undisturbed wilderness area in the
Terai. Ecologically, Bardia spans a great range of habitats from
thick riverine forest and sal stands to phanta (isolated pockets
of savannah) and dry upland slopes. The Geruwa, a branch of Nepal’s
biggest river, Karnali, forms the park’s western boundary
and major watering hole, and the density of wildlife and birds along
this western edge is as great as anywhere in Asia. The park provides
excellent habitat for endangered animals. Some of them are Rhinoceros,
Wild Elephant, Tiger, Swamp deer, Black Buck, Gharial crocodile,
Marsh Mugger crocodile and Gangetic dolphin. Endangered birds include
the Bengal florican, lesser florican, silver eared mesia and Sarus
crane. More than 30 different mammals, over 200 species of birds,
and many snakes, lizards and fish have been recorded in the park’s
forest, grassland and river habitats.
Bardia is widely hailed as a conservation success
story. Rhinos hunted to extinction here early last century, have
been reintroduced since 1986 and now are growing in number. The
commonest sight of all around Bardia are termite mounds, looking
like sand colored volcanoes, which reach their greatest height –
up to 2.5m – here.
Access: Drive through
the Tribhuvan and Mahendra Highway to Nepalgunj from Kathmandu or
Pokhara.
Travel from Nepalgunj to Thakurdwara (Headquarters of the park).
Some domestic airlines have a daily flight to Nepalgunj you can
hire a jeep to drive to Thakurdwara.
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KOSHI
TAPPU WILDLIFE RESERVE
The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve lies on the flood plains
of the Sapta – Koshi in Saptari and Sunsari Districts of Eastern
Nepal. The eastern and western embankments of the river define the
reserve. The area of the park is 175 square kilometers. It is the
bird watching paradise of Asia. This is the most low-key of the
Terai’s parks. It one of the most important stopping places
for migratory birds: the Arun River, the Sapt Koshis main tributary,
forms one of the few breaches in the Himalayan barrier north of
here. This tappu hosts nearly all of Nepal’s long list of
wildfowl, waders, egrets, storks, ibises, terns, gulls and a number
of varieties that you haven’t seen anywhere else. Some other
animals you may see are blue bull, wild boar, langur, spotted deer.
A small number of gangetic dolphins are reportedly trapped upstream
of the barrage.
Access: The reserve
lies 12km
off the Mahendra Highway. Bus services from Kathmandu can take you
there. You can also fly to Biratnagar from Kathmandu and take private
transport from there to the reserve.
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