Chitwan District is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district is in the western part of Narayani Zone, Bharatpur (the seventh largest city of Nepal) is its district headquarter. Bharatpur is a commercial and service centre of central south Nepal, it is the merger destination for higher education health and transportation of the region. It covers an area of 2,218km² and has a population (2001) of 472,048

oyal Chitwan National Park was created in 1973, but the area has been protected since at least the 19th century as a hunting reserve for Nepali and foreign aristocrats. King George V and his son, the young Edward VIII, managed to slaughter a staggering 39 tigers and 18 rhinos during just one blood-soaked safari to Chitwan in 1911.

Despite all the toffs firing buckshot into the jungle, Chitwan's status as a hunting reserve probably protected more animals than it killed. The biggest threat to wildlife in lowland Nepal has always been habitat loss, and the forest and malarial swamps were preserved to provide cover for game, keeping human encroachment to a minimum.

Until the late 1950s, the only inhabitants of the Chitwan Valley were small communities of Tharu villagers, who were blessed with a natural resistance to malaria. After a massive malaria eradication programme in 1954, land-hungry peasants from the hills swarmed into the region and huge tracts of the forest were cleared to make space for farmland.

As their habitat disappeared, so did the tigers and rhinos. By the mid 1960s, there were fewer than 100 rhinos and 20 tigers. News of the dramatic decline reached the ears of King Mahendra and the area was declared a royal reserve, becoming a national park in 1973. Some 22, 000 peasants were removed from within the park boundaries, but it was only when army patrols were introduced to stop poaching that animal numbers really started to rebound. Chitwan was added to the Unesco World Heritage list in 1984.

At the time of the 2000 census, wildlife populations were looking quite respectable, with 544 rhinos and an estimated 80 tigers, plus 50 other species of mammals and 450 species of birds. Sadly, a lot of that ground has been lost since the start of the Maoist rebellion. Poachers have reduced rhino and tiger numbers by a quarter, selling the animals parts on to middlemen in China and Tibet. One single consignment seized near the Nepal-Tibet border in 2003 contained the pelts of 32 tigers and 579 leopards.

The situation hasn't been helped by the falling visitor numbers, which have put a massive dent in the livelihoods of Tharu villagers around the park fringes. To make things worse, many resorts were damaged by monsoon floods in 2002, particularly around Sauraha. A swift resolution to Nepal's civil war is essential if Chitwan's endangered animals are to have any chance of survival.

Chitwan's National Park is the main attraction in the region. This park is regarded as the best national park of Nepal, and is also the most developed one. Elephant Breeding Center, Crocodile Farm are two other must see locations in the park.

Main activities in Chitwan include Jungle Safari, Bird Watching and Boat Tour. Jungle Safari is the most popular one. You will journey into the deep forest riding on elephant back, you will witness the preserved natural assets of Nepal, birds, flora and fauna. World's one of the most endangered species, Bengal Tigers are found abundant in Nepal, many in Chitwan national park. If it's your day, you might see them too.

The other major animal you will see is the one-horned rhinos whose famous place to live on earth is none other than Nepal. The park is also famous for bird watching, and boat tours. A walk to nearby villages is also a recommended thing to do.