Chitwan National Park: The Rhino Eludes us Again

Chitwan National Park is located in the southern, central part of Nepal. As opposed to the high Himalayas of the far north of or the smaller hills of the Kathmandu valley in the middle of the country, the southern part of Nepal is flat, and until recently (1970s) was completely covered in dense jungle and infested with malaria. In the 70s, the Nepali government implemented a successful program to combat malaria in the region. With the threat of malaria out of the way, people soon moved in and reclaimed the land for farming. This pretty much wiped out the jungle habitat within a couple of decades. Chitwan National park along with Bardia national park further west are essentially all that is left of this habitat. It is also some of the last remaining habitat for the royal bengal tiger, the Asian rhinoceros and the sloth bear, along with several other interesting avian, reptile and mammal species. The park is a popular destination for wildlife viewing, not only for the chance to see rare species, but also because the park offers opportunities to trek into the jungle foot as well as on the back of a domesticated elephant in lieu of a  jeep or truck. 

Chitwan Jungle

Primordial jungle, rare dangerous species seen from the back of your very own elephant, nights in a cozy lodge nestled in the jungle with wild animals roaming outside, who could ask for more. Not to mention the fact that the rhinoceros was one of the only animals we didn’t get to see on our African safaris. Chitwan advertised “excellent” chances of spotting rhinos, it’s what they are famous for. This would be our second chance at spotting a wild rhino. As soon as we booked our flight to Bangkok and realized we had enough time to squeeze in a visit to Chitwan before we left, we eagerly signed up and jumped on the bus headed south.

Indian Elephant

I would love to say that the experience was a smashing success that I will never forget, but the truth is far more aggravating. Aside from a wild chicken (apparently they taste just like chicken) and some other birds which were described by the guide at length, the park’s signature species, tigers, rhinos and bears, did not make an appearance. Let me tell you, nobody goes on safari to see birds, and when you are expecting tigers or rhinos, a description of the mating cycle of the crested hornbill can be extraordinarily annoying. We did see a paw print that we were told was made by a tiger earlier that day, and some poop that was ostensibly produced by rhino, but I have my suspicions that these were plants by the park staff. Even the elephant ride was a little off putting. The first encounter with the elephant is thrilling, but once the novelty wears off, and there is nothing to look at but endless jungle, the ride becomes quite uncomfortable and a little tedious. Also, the elephant’s handler kept smashing the elephants head and stabbing it behind the ear with a heavy, pointed metal rod to control it, which was frankly a little disturbing. Our room was freezing cold with no power or lights after 7:30, the food was barely edible, and the staff were downright unpleasant. I would have to say that this was the first real disappointment of our whole trip.

Having said that, you have to keep things in perspective. I’m not so jaded as to complain about how difficult we have it because the animals didn’t show up on demand or that my eggs were a little runny. I am very well aware that even with the odd disappointment, we are still extraordinarily fortunate to be doing what we are doing, and we did get to ride an elephant and wander around in a jungle.

Still, it would have been nice to see a rhinoceros…

Michael

Orchid Guests House

Thanon Rambuttri (near Khao San Rd.)

Bangkok, Thailand