Page 106 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11

OURWILD WORLD

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NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WORLD Area: 932km² Annual rainfall: 2,600mm Maximum altitude: 815m

Chitwan Nepal

Whattosee
Gazetted in 1973 in the
1 GREATER ONE- 2 BENGAL TIGER 3 OTHER
lowland Terai region,
HORNED (INDIAN) HIGHLIGHTS
Nepal’s first national park RHINOCEROS Whentogo
is dominated by tropical October to February,
Hunted to the brink The world’s biggest Critically endangered is most comfortable;
and subtropical forests,
of extinction by the cat prowls the sal Bengal floricans wildlife sightings rise
with substantial 1970s, Nepal’s rhinos forests of Chitwan, enjoy elaborate after villagers cut
grassland and wetland have since rallied; hunting chital, courtship displays tall thatch grasses
Chitwan hosts more sambar and barking in the grasslands in late January.
areas (Beeshazar and than 600 – around deer, wild pig and – from March to June. Temperatures soar
surrounding lakes comprise 90 per cent of the amazingly – gaur Gharial crocodiles, from March and the
monsoon (late June–
a Ramsar site). It’s home country’s total rhino (huge wild bovids). also endangered, can September) swells
population. Head Sightings of the be seen along with rivers and cuts roads.
to an alluring array of out on a walking or park’s 100 or so marsh crocodiles in

mammals, more than 520 jeep safari at dawn tigers are scarce the larger rivers. Big GO THERE WITH
•Wildlife Worldwide
bird species and a host of for a good chance but thrilling. mammals include •Naturetrek
of a sighting. the Asian elephant.
amphibians and reptiles. •Lost Earth Illustration by Bex Glover
Adventures
•Wild Frontiers Travel
Spotability LIKELY IF YOU’RE LUCKY POSSIBLE

106 BBC Wildlife November 2018