jungle safari in nepal

National Parks located in the Terai regions in Nepal has been another attractive destination for visitors all over the world. A visit to these parks involves game-stalking by a variety of means - foot, dugout canoe, jeep, elephant back. One is bound to sight a one-horned rhino at every elephant ride through the jungle. Besides the rhinos, wild boars, samburs,spotted deer, sloth beer, antelope are also usually seen. And if you are lucky, a Royal Bengal tiger may surprise you by his majestic appearance. Nepal is home to many wildlife national parks and protected reserves. Below we have attempted to provide you with necessary information on some of the more popular national parks in Nepal.

Royal Chitwan National Park :

Royal Chitwan National Park has long been one of the country's treasures of natural wonders. The park is situated in south central Nepal, covering 932 sq. km. in the subtropical lowlands of the Terai. Royal Chitwan National Park, one of the largest forest regions in Asia teeming with wildlife such as the rare great one-horned rhinoceros, several species of deer, sloth beer, leopard, wild boar, fresh water dolphin, crocodile, more than 350 species of birds and the elusive Royal Bengal tiger. Visitors to this National Park can enjoy elephant back excursions, nature walks, canoe trips and jungle walks. The point of traveling to Chitwan is to be on the lookout for wildlife. How you see it can vary greatly. The classic thing to do at Chitwan is to take an elephant ride, something that makes the park accessible to families as well as the trekker. This involves engaging a "mahut", who looks after the elephants and rides behind the elephant's ears. You'll be in a howdah, a little platform on the elephant's back.

Royal Chitwan had always been a hunting preserve, the special domain of the Nepali Rana rulers. A couple of times per decade the Rana would organize hunting parties, inviting both native and foreign royalty. Hundreds of beaters would move through the forest, herding animals in front of the comfortably ensconced dignitaries, who would fire at will. In 1911, King George V and his party which included his son, the prince, killed 39 tigers and 11 rhinos. The last big Chitwan hunt was in 1939. A party that included the British Viceroy killed 120 tigers, 38 rhinos, 27 leopards, and 15 sloth bears. More adult tigers were killed on this hunt than are currently are alive at Chitwan, now a precious 50 breeding pairs. And the current Asian rhino population of Chitwan is about 400, which is a quarter of the worlds' total. A photo taken after a 1935 hunt shows a well-heeled man posing in front of a wide, 3-tiered rack displaying dozens of tiger and leopard pelts. The parks are a birdwatcher's paradise. It's easily possible to see over a hundred different birds in a single day. Over 440 different birds have been recorded at Chitwan, including the Indian peafowl, the tuneful blackheaded oriole, the openbill stork -- and, well, 437 others.At Chitwan, the floodplain also takes in several lakes, which are the preferred habitat of the rhino, as well as many different marsh birds. Pythons can mostly be found near the larger bodies of water, so when the deer come to drink. . . In the water itself are some unusual fish-eating crocodiles, called gharial, playful smooth-coated otters, and if you're lucky, you may see Gangetic dolphin, a freshwater mammal that chomps on fish and crustaceans.

Royal Bardiya National Park :

Royal Bardia National Park is the largest park in the lowland Terai covering an area of 968 sq. km. The park situated in Nepal's Western Terai was established to protect representative ecosystems and conserve tiger and its prey species. Royal Bardia is the lesser known treasure beckoning to those who don't mind a longer excursion if it means they'll have a better chance of actually seeing a tiger. Bardia is hillier and drier than Chitwan. It has many of the same species as Chitwan, minus a significant rhino population, which has only recently been reintroduced into the park. A river gorge cuts through one corner of the park, and in the winter, wall creeper, a winter bird, fly up and down the face of the gorge. Some people consider Royal Bardia a more interesting park to hike in. The hilly terrain offers more diversity and interesting views. The Karnali River, which bounds the park's western edge, drains the region and is one of the main tributaries of the Ganges. At the park's northwest corner, the Karnali cuts through a gorge. Follow it to the end and you come out at a stunning view of the floodplain. A centuries-old trading route, cut directly into the stone of the hills, runs along the western bank of the Karnali. The Karnali is also a world-class river for paddle sports. You can plan a trek that starts upriver from Bardia, and spend a few days paddling down to it. The Geruwa River is another whitewater challenge that runs through the park.

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve :

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is situated on the flood plains of the Sapta-Koshi River in Eastern Nepal. The reserve is a wetland of international significance. In 1987, it was declared a Ramsar site. It is home to more than 280 bird species including 20 duck species, 2 species of ibises, many storks, egrets and herons. The endangered swamp partridge and Bengal florican are found here. The Koshi Barge is an extremely important resting-place for migratory birds. The last surviving population of wild buffalo or arna is found here. The reserve is also home to many types of mammals such as hog deer, spotted deer, wild boar and blue bull. The endangered Gharial crocodile and Gangetic dolphin have been recorded in the Koshi River. The vegetation mainly includes tall khar-pater grasslands with a few patches of khair-sissoo scrub forest and deciduous mixed riverine forest.