Wildlife of Nepal
Nepal may not be as well known for its wildlife as India, and I admit I was fairly ignorant until stopped off here on the way back to England from Southeast Asia. I knew only of Kathmandu and, of course, Mount Everest. Hiking is a huge draw in Nepal, and it is very well set up for hikers – even beginners – to hike in the world’s largest mountain range. I managed to hike, albeit unexpectedly and unprepared, up to Annapurna base camp.
On way, I also stopped off at Chitwan for a few days, and was shocked at my previous ignorance of the wildlife spotting opportunities in Nepal. I also had a very close encounter with one of the world’s largest land mammals.
Chitwan
The National Park is in the flatter southern region of Nepal, bordering India, and shares some of the fascinating wildlife with its big neighbour. The largest fauna include the Bengal tiger, Indian rhinoceros, as well as Asian elephants. There’s a variety of other large cats, monkeys, reptiles, amphibians, deer and birds, also.
Chitwan is accessible by tour only, unless you want to risk entering the park illegally – that may be unwise given the list of animals above. The possibility of sighting a tiger may be worth the tour alone.
Sadly, this was a period in my life I was short on cash, so I didn’t do a tour. I contented myself with wandering around the outskirts of the park for a couple of days. Chitwan was relatively affordable and accessible though, so I may return for those tigers.
A close encounter
Even near town, at the entrance to the park, you can spot wildlife without paying to enter. On my first visit, I saw a rhino (from a distance) as well two varieties of large crocodiles.
I stayed in a hostel nearby, just a short walk to the river that borders the park. The very first evening, I was invited by a worker at the hostel to come and see a rhino. I was expecting some sort of practical joke.
Lo and behold, on the dirt road outside the hostel, a rhino stood defiantly – ignore the calls of residents to move on. I couldn’t believe my eyes, this huge beast standing no more than ten metres away. After some gentle encouragement, it trotted off into the fields and away.
Annapurna Range
On a hike up to Poon Hill and Annapurna Base Camp, wildlife sightings were less common than in Chitwan, which is likely down to the elevation of the area. Still, there were a few encounters. And, if you are lucky, you might find some of the more elusive animals that call the Himalayas home, including the enigmatic snow leopard.
Although I don’t pride myself on being a professional, or even notably talented, photographer, I was slightly disappointed with some of the shots I obtained from my hikes. I might blame it on being tired, the altitude affecting me (it didn’t) or the animals being camera shy. Either way, my photos at least demonstrate the animals that you can find in an area. Sightings always lifted my spirit, on tired legs.
Another nice aspect of the hike is passing through villages along the way, and your new best friend might just be one of the dogs that seem happy to follow a hiker for miles, should you pay them some attention. They seem to decide when they want to head back. Not a bad life for the canines there, wandering freely as they please.
