Description of the attraction
Chitwan National Park is located in the valley of the same name, which is dominated by lush vegetation. Animals of 50 species live here, including Bengal tigers, Indian rhinos, antelopes, monkeys, etc. This area of subtropical forest with an area of 932 square kilometers. earlier it was surrounded by malarial swamps, which made it possible to preserve the unique flora and fauna from human extermination.
From the middle of the 19th century over a century, the Chitwan Valley became the site of royal hunting. Small houses were built for the king and his guests, in which they could live for several weeks. The monarch and his retinue methodically destroyed leopards, tigers, bears. Ordinary people were forbidden to hunt here on pain of death.
Until the 1950s, only Tharu people who did not suffer from malaria lived in Chitwan. After the extermination of malaria mosquitoes, the Chitwan Valley began to be mastered by peasants from all over Nepal. The jungle hindered the development of agriculture, so trees were cut down, clearing areas for fields. The animals, which until then had felt quite at ease in Chitwan, suddenly lost their habitats. By the late 1960s, the number of rhinos and tigers in Chitwan was so small that even the king was worried. Chitwan received the status of a reserve, and after a while also a national park.
Tourists arriving in Chitwan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, can stay in comfortable cottages right on its territory. The owners of this hotel offer their guests elephant or jeep rides in the park. During the excursion, you can see a rhino or a tiger, watch birds, and admire the beautiful nature.
