Rhino:
This is the primary reason visitors come to Chitwan. The great
one-horned Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros palustris) is doing
quite well here, thank you. It is estimated that between one
third and a half of Asia’s total rhino population is found
here. The rhino is the world’s third largest land mammal
and has an estimated life expectancy of up to 45 years. In 1986,
about 40 rhinos were relocated from Chitwan to the Bardia National
Park and their number is said to have increased by about 25%
in the first 10 years since their introduction.
More on Rhino
Elephants: Most of the elephants you will
see in Chitwan are domesticated. A small number of wild Indian
elephants (Elephas Maximus) are said to exist in the eastern
apart of the park and make their presence known by trampling
crops. The domesticated elephants are owned and operated by
either the government elephant breeding centre or by one of
the lodges. These elephants carry tourists into the park in
the early morning and late afternoon. They are also put to
work carrying goods and heavy cargo in the Chitwan vicinity.
The Royal Bengal Tiger: (Panthera tigris)
is the most elusive of all of Chitwan’s animals and
perhaps the most glamorous. It is next to impossible to see
them, but if you should be so lucky, the thrill of spotting
a tiger far outweighs that of spotting a rhino.
There are an estimated 100 tigers in Chitwan. Conservation
measures have ensured that the tigers breed. Courtship between
tigers lasts usually about a week, while the actual mating
period is for 2 to 3 days. A gestation period of 100 to 105
days later, a litter of between two to six cubs is born.
The nearest you will get to a tiger is looking at the scratch
marks on trees. By a combination of spraying urine and making
these distinctive scratches, tigers mark territory. Shy creatures,
they will never attack unless provoked. Both the mating season
and the rutting season preceding it are dangerous. Tigers
have excellent eyesight and usually feed at night, preying
largely on the park’s deer. Tigers are generally loners
and control a demarcated territory. Unfortunately, this is
difficult given the tiger to land ratio and one of the causes
for their low survival rate. For instance, males command an
area of about 50 sq km and females 35 sq km. With 100 tigers,
Chitwan provides just enough land for them to wander about.
A slight shift and the tiger would be affected.
Leopard: Your chances of spotting a leopard
will be only marginally greater. Panthera pardus hunts by
day, preying on deer as well as smaller mammals, but is extremely
swift and shy and even if you do spot it, the sighting will
be no more than a tenuous glimpse.
Sloth bear: (Melursus ursinus) can grow
up to 2 m in height, weighs 200 kilos and feeds largely on
termites and insects. The chances of seeing them are slim.
Most visitors to the park come back seeing rhino and deer.
The deer include the swamp deer (Cervus davaucels), spotted
deer or chital (Axis axis), barking deer (Muntiacus mutiak)
and the hog deer. Other animals found in the park include:
the scaly anteater, porcupine, hyena, fox and jackals.
Reptiles:The terrain is reptile friendly.
The rivers and swampy areas are home to around 53 species
of reptiles including snakes, frogs, turtles, lizards and
at least two important species of crocodile, the marsh mugger
(Crocodilus palustries) and the gharial (Gaviais gangeticus).
The gharial is a fish eater and was near extinction in Chitwan
in the fifties. Since the conservation project started, their
numbers have increased. The marsh mugger is smaller and feeds
on a diet of both fish and insects. You could spot them in
the swampy areas inside the park than along the rivers. Take
a canoe ride on the Rapti. Along the banks of the river, are
mugger holes and you could easily spot them sunning themselves
on the mud banks.
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