Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
History
Royal Chitwan National Park was created in 1973, but the area has been protected since at least the 19th century as a hunting reserve for Nepali and foreign aristocrats. King George V and his son, the young Edward VIII, managed to slaughter a staggering 39 tigers and 18 rhinos during just one blood-soaked safari to Chitwan in 1911.
Despite all the toffs firing buckshot into the jungle, Chitwan's status as a hunting reserve probably protected more animals than it killed. The biggest threat to wildlife in lowland Nepal has always been habitat loss, and the forest and malarial swamps were preserved to provide cover for game, keeping human encroachment to a minimum.
Until the late 1950s, the only inhabitants of the Chitwan Valley were small communities of Tharu villagers, who were blessed with a natural resistance to malaria. After a massive malaria eradication programme in 1954, land-hungry peasants from the hills swarmed into the region and huge tracts of the forest were cleared to make space for farmland.
As their habitat disappeared, so did the tigers and rhinos. By the mid 1960s, there were fewer than 100 rhinos and 20 tigers. News of the dramatic decline reached the ears of King Mahendra and the area was declared a royal reserve, becoming a national park in 1973. Some 22, 000 peasants were removed from within the park boundaries, but it was only when army patrols were introduced to stop poaching that animal numbers really started to rebound. Chitwan was added to the Unesco World Heritage list in 1984.
At the time of the 2000 census, wildlife populations were looking quite respectable, with 544 rhinos and an estimated 80 tigers, plus 50 other species of mammals and 450 species of birds. Sadly, a lot of that ground has been lost since the start of the Maoist rebellion. Poachers have reduced rhino and tiger numbers by a quarter, selling the animals parts on to middlemen in China and Tibet. One single consignment seized near the Nepal-Tibet border in 2003 contained the pelts of 32 tigers and 579 leopards.
The situation hasn't been helped by the falling visitor numbers, which have put a massive dent in the livelihoods of Tharu villagers around the park fringes. To make things worse, many resorts were damaged by monsoon floods in 2002, particularly around Sauraha. A swift resolution to Nepal's civil war is essential if Chitwan's endangered animals are to have any chance of survival.
Despite all the toffs firing buckshot into the jungle, Chitwan's status as a hunting reserve probably protected more animals than it killed. The biggest threat to wildlife in lowland Nepal has always been habitat loss, and the forest and malarial swamps were preserved to provide cover for game, keeping human encroachment to a minimum.
Until the late 1950s, the only inhabitants of the Chitwan Valley were small communities of Tharu villagers, who were blessed with a natural resistance to malaria. After a massive malaria eradication programme in 1954, land-hungry peasants from the hills swarmed into the region and huge tracts of the forest were cleared to make space for farmland.
As their habitat disappeared, so did the tigers and rhinos. By the mid 1960s, there were fewer than 100 rhinos and 20 tigers. News of the dramatic decline reached the ears of King Mahendra and the area was declared a royal reserve, becoming a national park in 1973. Some 22, 000 peasants were removed from within the park boundaries, but it was only when army patrols were introduced to stop poaching that animal numbers really started to rebound. Chitwan was added to the Unesco World Heritage list in 1984.
At the time of the 2000 census, wildlife populations were looking quite respectable, with 544 rhinos and an estimated 80 tigers, plus 50 other species of mammals and 450 species of birds. Sadly, a lot of that ground has been lost since the start of the Maoist rebellion. Poachers have reduced rhino and tiger numbers by a quarter, selling the animals parts on to middlemen in China and Tibet. One single consignment seized near the Nepal-Tibet border in 2003 contained the pelts of 32 tigers and 579 leopards.
The situation hasn't been helped by the falling visitor numbers, which have put a massive dent in the livelihoods of Tharu villagers around the park fringes. To make things worse, many resorts were damaged by monsoon floods in 2002, particularly around Sauraha. A swift resolution to Nepal's civil war is essential if Chitwan's endangered animals are to have any chance of survival.
Climate
The Chitwan National Park has a tropical monsoon climate, with height humidity all through the year, and three main seasons.
Summer
March to early June are the traditional hot months, with temperatures rising progressively to a peak in May. During April, despite the heat of the day the nights can be quite cold. South – westerly winds prevail, and relative humidity is lowest in March.
Monsoon
Towards the end of May the pre-monsoon storms set in. Dark clouds mass in the afternoons, with thunder and lightning and high winds. If rain falls, it comes in late afternoon showers lasting perhaps only fifteen to twenty minutes. As May changes into June the showers come with increasing frequency.
When the monsoon proper begins, around the middle of June, it is another story. From then until late September the moisture-laden south-easterly winds weeping up from the Bay of Bengal bring heavy rain, and of the annual total of some 80 inches, more than 80 per cent falls in these three months.
Precipitation is not normally continuous, and often, in any monsoon month, there are as many dry days as wet ones. During the monsoon humidity is extremely high.
Winter
Winter lasts from October to the end of February. The northerly winds are cool, coming down from the mountains, and this is the best time of the year to see the Great Himalayan Range, the air being particularly clear in November.
January is the coldest month, with temperatures falling almost to freezing-point, especially when it rains. From late November the relative humidity touches 100 percent in the mornings, and so there is dewfall during December and January nights and sometimes when you hear the drips pouring off the trees in the morning, it is often mistaken for rain. After an especially cold morning it is hard to believe that the temperature will rise to 20-25 Celsius in the afternoon.
Summer
March to early June are the traditional hot months, with temperatures rising progressively to a peak in May. During April, despite the heat of the day the nights can be quite cold. South – westerly winds prevail, and relative humidity is lowest in March.
Monsoon
Towards the end of May the pre-monsoon storms set in. Dark clouds mass in the afternoons, with thunder and lightning and high winds. If rain falls, it comes in late afternoon showers lasting perhaps only fifteen to twenty minutes. As May changes into June the showers come with increasing frequency.
When the monsoon proper begins, around the middle of June, it is another story. From then until late September the moisture-laden south-easterly winds weeping up from the Bay of Bengal bring heavy rain, and of the annual total of some 80 inches, more than 80 per cent falls in these three months.
Precipitation is not normally continuous, and often, in any monsoon month, there are as many dry days as wet ones. During the monsoon humidity is extremely high.
Winter
Winter lasts from October to the end of February. The northerly winds are cool, coming down from the mountains, and this is the best time of the year to see the Great Himalayan Range, the air being particularly clear in November.
January is the coldest month, with temperatures falling almost to freezing-point, especially when it rains. From late November the relative humidity touches 100 percent in the mornings, and so there is dewfall during December and January nights and sometimes when you hear the drips pouring off the trees in the morning, it is often mistaken for rain. After an especially cold morning it is hard to believe that the temperature will rise to 20-25 Celsius in the afternoon.
Canoe Ride :
You can boat on the Rapti river on a typical hand-made canoe dug-out of wood. As you canoe, you can see Gharials and Marsh Muggers Crocodiles basking in the he sun and enjoy watching many colorful birds.ELEPHANT BATHING
Jungle Walking in Jungle :-
Walk out and stretch your legs deep into the forest accompanied by professional naturalists as they share their extensive knowledge with you on your way to prime spots in quest of rare and endemic species, Be on the look out for the great one-horned rhinoceros, wild boar, sloth bear, bison, gangetic dolphins, gharial crocodile and the Royal Bengal Tiger.
JUNGLE DRIVE: -
Drive into the heart of the park for a good chance to spot the rare species. The drive takes you along time-worn trails with great opportunities of viewing big animals. Don't forget to move on to Kasara, the park headquarters wherein you will get the chance to visit the Kasara Durbar and the Crocodie Breeding Centre.The centre is housed with a number of breeding and hatching ponds to produce and rear the animal until they are ready for release in the wild.
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