 Chitwan National Park is one of the best planned and well
developed tourist destinations in southern Nepal. Highlights of
the Chitwan Jungle are elephant rides to see the elusive Bengal
tigers, one-horned rhinos and bisons and a tour of the Tharu
village to explore this people's culture.
The park covers a pristine area with a unique ecosystem of
significant value to the world. It con tains the Churiya hills,
ox-bow lakes and flood plains of Rapti, Reu and Narayani Rivers.
Approximately 70% of the park vegetation is sal forest. The
remaining vegetation types include grassland (20%), riverine
forest (7%), and sal with chirpine (3%), the latter occurring at
the top of the Churiya range. The riverine forests consist
mainly of khair, sissoo and simal.The grassland forms a diverse
and complex community with over 50 species. The Saccharun
species, often called elephant grass, can reach 8 m. in height.
The shorter grasses such as Imperata are useful for thatch
roofs. s
There are more than 43 species of mammals in the park. The park
is especially renowned for the endangered one-horned rhinoceros,
the tiger and the gharial crocodile along with many other common
species such as gaur, wild elephant, four-horned antelope,
striped hyena, pangolin, Gangetic dolphin, monitor lizard and
python.
Other animals found in the park include the sambar, chital, hog
deer, barking deer, sloth bear, palm civet, langur and rhesus
monkey. |
[January
25, 2009]
