precious-postcards

Chitwan National Park

At the foot of the Himalayas, Chitwan is one of the few remaining undisturbed vestiges of the 'Terai' region, which formerly extended over the foothills of India and Nepal. It has a particularly rich flora and fauna. One of the last populations of single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros lives in the park, which is also one of the last refuges of the Bengal tiger.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/284

Chitwan National Park is a rich natural area in the Terai, the subtropical lowland in the southern part of Nepal.

It lies in a river basin, and is mostly covered by forest of the sal tree and grassland.

Until the 1950s the park served as a hunting ground for royals. Only small Tharu villages existed.

The park is inhabited by 56 species of mammals. Among them are the rare Asiatic rhinoceros and Bengal Tiger. Besides these, there are elephants, sloth bears, leopards, gaur and otters. 565 species of birds have been recorded inside the park, and 155 species of butterflies.

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/id/284