Chitwan National Park

[1] It covers an area of 952.63 km2 (367.81 sq mi) in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal in Nawalpur, Chitwan, Makwanpur and Parsa Districts.

[2] In the north and west of the protected area the Narayani-Rapti river system forms a natural boundary to human settlements.

[3] Since the end of the 19th century Chitwan used to be a favorite hunting ground for Nepal's ruling class during the cool winter seasons.

Comfortable camps were set up for the feudal big game hunters and their entourage, where they stayed for a couple of months shooting hundreds of tigers, rhinoceroses, elephant, leopards and sloth bears.

When poor farmers from the mid-hills moved to the Chitwan Valley in search of arable land, the area was subsequently opened for settlement, and poaching of wildlife became rampant.

[5][6] By the end of the 1960s, 70% of Chitwan's jungles had been cleared, malaria eradicated using DDT, thousands of people had settled there, and only 95 rhinos remained.

To prevent the extinction of rhinos, the Chitwan National Park was gazetted in December 1970, with borders delineated the following year and established in 1973, initially encompassing an area of 544 km2 (210 sq mi).

In 1997, a bufferzone of 766.1 km2 (295.8 sq mi) was added to the north and west of the Narayani-Rapti river system, and between the south-eastern boundary of the park and the international border to India.

[4] The area is located in the central climatic zone of the Himalayas, where monsoon starts in mid-June and eases off in late September.

[citation needed] The typical vegetation of the Inner Terai is Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests with predominantly sal trees covering about 70% of the national park area.

On northern slopes sal associates with smaller flowering tree and shrub species such as beleric (Terminalia bellirica), rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo), axlewood (Anogeissus latifolia), elephant apple (Dillenia indica), grey downy balsam (Garuga pinnata) and creepers such as Bauhinia vahlii and Spatholobus parviflorus.

Seasonal bushfires, flooding and erosion evoke an ever-changing mosaic of riverine forest and grasslands along the river banks.

The Narayani-Rapti river system, their small tributaries and myriads of oxbow lakes is habitat for 113 recorded species of fish and mugger crocodiles.

But when the bush fires ease off in springtime and lush grasses start growing up again, they descend into the grassland and riverine forests to graze and browse.

Apart from numerous wild boars, there are also herds of chital, sambar, red muntjac and Indian hog deer that inhabits the park.

[17] Chitwan National Park received 18 wild water buffalo from Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in 2016.

[22] Especially the park's alluvial grasslands are important habitats for the critically endangered Bengal florican, the vulnerable lesser adjutant, grey-crowned prinia, swamp francolin and several species of grass warblers.

[citation needed] The park's unique rhino herd was featured on The Jeff Corwin Experience in season 2, episode 11.

Seed of kapok, the silk cotton tree
Basking mugger crocodile
Chital stag
Indian rhinoceros
Tiger in Chitwan National Park
Translocated wild water buffalo in Chitwan National Park