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POPULAR
CITIES
I
PARKS
&
RESERVES
I
RURAL
TOURISM |
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UNESCO
HERITAGE
SITES
I
PILGRIMAGE
SITES |
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 Chitwan
National
Park
(formerly
called
"Royal
Chitwan
National
Park(RCNP)"
),
covering
an
area
of
932
kmē,
is
the
oldest
national
park
of
Nepal.
Established
in
1973,
it
was
granted
the
status
of a
World
Heritage
Site
in
1984.
The
RCNP
is
located
at
subtropical
inner
Terai
lowlands
of
South-Central
Nepal
in
Chitwan
district
(200km
away
from
capital
Kathmandu). |
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The
park
is
rich
in
flora
and
fauna,
which
include
one
of
the
last
populations
of
single-horned
Indian
Rhinoceros
and
the
Bengal
tiger
Panthera
tigris
tigris.
The
area
used
to
be
known
as
"Four
Mile
Forest".
It
was
a
place
for
big
game
hunting
and
until
1951
it
was
a
hunting
reserve.
At
the
park
there
is
canoeing,
elephant
rides,
and
guided
jungle
walks. |
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Adjacent
to
the
National
Park
in
the
east
is
the
Parsa
Wildlife
Reserve
(49.900
ha)
and
further
east
the
Bara
Hunting
Reserve
(25.900
ha).
In
the
south
the
Chitwan
is
contiguous
with
the
Indian
Valmiki
Tiger
Reserve.
The
vegetation
consits
mainly
of
moist
deciduous
forests,
with
the
sal
as
dominating
tree
species.
In
the
Churia
Hills
pine
trees
predominate.
On
the
floodplains
of
the
large
Rivers,
by
name
the
Rapti,
the
Reu
and
the
Narayani
there
are
large
areas
covered
with
Elephant
grass
alternating
with
riverine
Forests
mainly
composed
of
Simal,
Khair
and
Sisau
trees. |
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The
Chitwan
National
Park
is
home
to
at
least
43
species
of
mammals,
450
species
of
birds,
and
45
species
of
amphibians
and
reptiles.
Elephants
and
Indian
rhinos
are
the
largest
species
found
in
the
park,
but
a
lot
of
other
large
herbivores
are
found
in
the
park,
gaur,
sambar
deer,
Indian
muntjac,
chital,
hog
deer,
mainland
serow,
chousingha
and
wild
boar.
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Three
large
predator
species,
tigers,
leopards,
dholes
prey
on
them
and
carrion
eaters
like
striped
hyenas
are
also
found.
Sloth
bears
are
among
the
main
attractions
of
the
Park.
Smaller
carivore
species
are
golden
jackal,
yellow-throated
marten,
ratel,
smooth
coated
otter,
small
Indian
civet,
large
Indian
civet,
spotted
linsang,
common
palm
civet,
binturong,
small
Indian
mongoose,
Indian
grey
mongoose,
crab-eating
mongose,
leopard
cat,
marbled
cat
and
fishing
cat.
Further
mammal
species
found
in
the
park
are
rhesus
monkeys,
hanuman
langurs,
Indian
pangolin,
northern
palm
squirrel,
red
giant
flying
squirrel,
particoloured
flying
squirrel,
Indian
porcupine,
hispid
hare,
Indian
hare
and
ganges
doplhin.
Among
the
reptiles
marsh
crocoiles,
gharials
and
Indian
python
are
the
largest. |
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The
park's
unique
rhino
herd
was
featured
on
The
Jeff
Corwin
Experience
in
season
2,
episode
11.
This
national
park
is
just
10
km
far
from
nearby
city
Bharatpur,
Nepal
and
the
Bharatpur
Airport. |
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