Living in the jungle and among the elephant grass
In Chitwan National Park, humans and animals live harmoniously together amid the stiff elephant grass. Yet not long ago, Chitwan National Park was a hunting ground for the kings of Nepal. The rare tiger and one-horned rhino managed to transform the area into a protected nature park. Chitwan is now even on the Unesco heritage list. Partly responsible for this is the gaviaal crocodile, the rarest of its kind. With a long thin snout and 110 pointed teeth, he keeps his inmates at bay. Chitwan is home to more than 450 species of birds, monkeys, Asian elephants and a single Bengal tiger.
Chitwan National Park is best to visit from November to February, with the park's animals best seen in January, when the elephant grass has been shortened by the Tharu population. The straw-like stems serve as the basis for the mud walls of their home. In Chitwan they live on what agriculture, forest and river have to offer them. They know the shortcuts through the park and know what time the setting sun turns the Rapti River red. During a trip along this river, in a traditional hollowed-out tree trunk, they like to share their knowledge.