Chitwan National Park

Established in 1973, this park was declared as a World Heritage Site in 1984. Chitwan National Park is located near the Nawalpur, Parsa, Chitwan, and Makwanpur districts in Nepal. The park also includes the River Valley as well as the Churia Hills.

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Geographical landscape of the national park

Located in the southern-central part of Nepal, the park is surrounded by natural beauty. The Churia Hills and the Raptiriver add to the beauty of the park. Two other rivers, River Reu and Narayani also flow through the National Park. The western part of the park, a part near the Someshwor hills, is rugged and lower than the other areas. The Parsa Wildlife Reserve makes up for the eastern boundary of the National Park.

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Nearby wildlife sanctuaries

The Chitwan National Park is close to two other wildlife sanctuaries in the region. The Parsa National Park lies adjacent to the eastern part of the Chitwan National Park and is famous for various wild animals. Apart from this, the Valmiki National Park is also close to the Chitwan National Park. The Valmiki National Park is known for its Indian Tiger reserves.

The entire areas of Chitwan-Parsa-Valmik come down to an area of 3,549 km2.

Chitwan National Park is located near various hills,and three rivers run through it. Located in the central climatic zone of the Himalayas, the park experiences tropical monsoons with high humidity all year round. The monsoon here begins from the month of June and continues till the month of September. During the monsoon season, the area receives an annual rainfall of 2,500 mm and experiences pouring rains. After September, the heavy rain clouds revert,and the humidity in the area drops off. The temperatures in the region keep dropping till the month of December. Nights in December can be as cool as 5 ?C, and the day temperatures range between 36 ?C to 18?C. After December, the temperatures begin rising again.

Although the area of Chitwan National Park usually experiences heavy rainfall, the months from October to March experience low rains. The weather during these months is pleasant, and the temperatures during these months do not go over 25 ?C. During the months of October to March, the area does not experience pouring rains, which makes it easy for you to explore the park.

The best time to observe the animals in the park is between January and March, where you can find the animals towering over the tall grasses.

The Chitwan National Park is mostly known for its population of one-horned rhinos and elephants. However, there are various other animals that can be found in the park. The Chitwan National Park is known for its biodiversity, mammals, and different species of birds.

Mammals

The Park boasts 68 different species of mammals. The types of mammals that can be found in the park are: tigers, deer, rhinos, elephants, smooth-coated otters, leopards, sloth bears, civets, Bengal foxes, honey badgers, Indian wild oxen, grey langur, spotted deer, wild boars, monkeys, and hyenas.

Birds

The Chitwan National Park houses more than 500 bird species. The types of birds that can be found in the park are: Bulbuls, peacocks, Orioles, emerald doves, kingfishers, crested hornbills, egrets, jungle fowl, various species of drongos, ruby-cheeked sunbirds, and parakeets.

Reptiles

You find some alligators in the Chitwan National Park.

The natural vegetation or flora

The Chitwan National Park is located in the Inner Terai is the Himalayan subtropical area. The area is characterized by subtropical vegetation,and roughly 70% of the area is covered by sal trees. The sal trees in the area around the Churia Hills are intermingled with chir pine. The northern slopes in the park have smaller, flowering sal trees.

Chitwan National Park has many species of shrub trees as well, which include elephant apple, rosewood, beleric, axlewood, grey downy balsam and various species of creepers. The lower areas of the Chitwan National Park include dotted with rosewood, rhino apple trees, velvety beautyberry, hill glory bower, gooseberry,and many others. As for grasses, the entire park houses tallest of all grasses, the elephant grass.