Chitwan Jungle Reserve Adventures
What animals will we get to see and under what conditions will we explore their lives?
JUNGLE SAFARI
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| RAPTI RIVER |
Departure at 6:45 for the jungle safari in ancient open air vehicles. Crossing the peaceful river in a hand carved cottonwood canoe at 7:00 was beautiful. Traveling through the park with many other vehicles probably limited our wild animal viewing, but we did manage to observe the jungle setting in its diversity and beauty plus see a few amazing animals.
One of the most exciting adventures was to view a python just taking in the morning sun by the side of the road. We also saw spotted dear, macaque monkey, larger langur, several groups of boar families, a rhinoceros at quite a distance in the river, gharial crocodiles, elephant and sloth bear scate. The air was filled with birds and bird sounds. We saw an eagle eating a mouse, woodpecker, storks, fishhawk, parrots, beautiful kingfishers and many varieties of butterfly.
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| EAGLE WITH HIS MOUSE |
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| CROCODILE RESEARCH STATION |
The national park is covered with sal forest and also included are cottonwood trees, ficus trees, strangling fig winding themselves around anything they could find, elephant grass and beautiful grasslands, particularly along the banks of the Rapti and Narayani Rivers.
ELEPHANT BREEDING STATION
Following our jungle walk of several hours, we visited the elephant breeding station with about 10 mature females and 5 small elephants. It was hard to see the mature elephants restrained by a heavy chain on one leg....but we were told that they daily they go to the river to bathe and frolic in the jungle. I do so hope so. We later learned that mahouts do take the elephants for a bath and walk in the river many mornings. And we observed the elephants enjoying their baths by the river one morning. The mahouts used rocks to scrub their course hair and hide. Some of us joined the bathing and got on them, soon to realize that the trunks would bath us too with their gush of water. What fun!
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| YOUNG ELEPHANTS |
Initially, I was not interested in participating with the elephant activity fearing elephant abuse. After talking with other tourists who had experience, I decided to go for it.
It was a beautiful experience riding on top of that magnificent animal. His steady plodding pace is to be admired. Four of us rode in our palanquin with gentle guidance of the mahout along jungle trails, through rivers and grassland meadows for several hours at sunset. The elephants showed much individual personality in wanting to break off leafy branches, ferns, and other delectable food items. Some of these great beings were quite determined about their direction of pathway which did differ from the mahouts. Several times we felt that the elephant was getting lost in the jungle.
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| WITH CATHY, TRISH, AND JAKE |
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| LINDA AND SYLVIA |
Up and down we went seeing the beautiful jungle lands, spotted deer, storks, a larger dark deer and the prize of the day two rhinoceros in their amour like garb. The texture of their hide would be fascinating to touch!
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| RHINOCEROS HIGHLIGHT |
The elephant ride was a highlight of our journey to Chitwan.
CANOE RIDE IN THE RAPTI RIVER
Early one morning along a peaceful stretch of the Rapti river we traveled in hand hewn cotton wood canoes and saw many of the birds mentioned above. The brilliantly colored kingfisher and the graceful storks were highlights.
The thrill of the journey was the sudden wild deep sound emanating from a huge crocodile taking his morning sun. We watched him slowly slither into the river. What a disappointment! I observed that our boatman did not steer very close to him. Watching the grace and peaceful body movements of the boatmen with their simple steering sticks was inspirational.
After a beautiful meditative ride along the river, we landed ashore the area where elephants take their morning baths.. On the banks we excitedly watched them roll into the river and spray themselves with their water-filled trunks. What fun they were having and soon some of us joined them in the water to wash their hide with stones and then mount that beautiful animal.. Taking off my hiking boots, watch, and tummy pouch, I absolutely loved getting near them and feeling their strong bodies. I did get rather excited when PINKY decided to spray my with his graceful trunk. His mahout was very kind to him and I began to feel better about the elephant care here in the National Chitwan Jungle.
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| BATHING WITH THE ELEPHANT |
We also visited a local museum which told the story of the Tharu people, thought to be the earliest inhabitants of the Chitwa region. The Tharus are thought to be the earliest inhabitants of the Terai and are the most visible people of the Terai. They tend to have Mongoloid physical features and caste like distinctions exist between different Tharu groups.
Some people believe they could be descendants of the Rajputs of Rajasthan. They have been traditionally animists but are changing rapidly to Hinduism. Recently many have been exploited by zamindars and fell into debt and entered into bonded labor. Bonded laborers were freed by gvt in 2000 but many and still landless and workless people. You can see many squatter settlements of former kamaiyas.
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