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Further west along the
Terai from Chitwan is Bardia, another former royal hunting
preserve with many similarities. The last hunt was held in
1988 and just one year later Bardia became the countries
largest lowland National Park with a core area of 968sq.km.
The Karnali and Geruwa Rivers form the western boundary, with
the Churia hills to the north. The Karnali is Nepal’s longest
and third largest river, flowing from Tibet to the Ganges.
Unlike Chitwan all villages have been relocated outside of the
core area, yet they retain their traditional Tharu character.
The gradual slopes favour around 75% sal forest coverage, with
the remainder being grassland, riverine forest, rivers, sandy
banks and islets. The high clay content of the soil limits the
growth of grasses and forest shrubs, compared with Chitwan,
and this could be one reason why Bardia is held to offer the
better chance of tiger sightings. During January the grass is
harvested and then burnt. |
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Tiger numbers are in fact similar to Chitwan, other predators
include leopard, hyena, jackal, wild dog and both types of
crocodile. Rhinos had disappeared from Bardia but the relocation
of 38 individuals from Chitwan has seen the numbers double, just a
few wild elephant remain on the fringe of the park and are rarely
seen. Ungulate numbers are good with hog deer, barking deer, swamp
deer (barasingha), nilgai and a small number of blackbuck antelope
all boosting the prey density, gaur are not found at Bardia.
Elephants provide unrivalled access to the park with a helpful
elevated wildlife viewing position. Better park tracks allow more
ground to be covered and a wider variety of mammals may be spotted
during a jeep drive. Between safaris a guided walk in the sal
forest and neighbouring Tharu villages helps to build a deeper
appreciation of this largely unspoilt park.
Drifting by raft from the Karnali Bridge down to the Geruwa River
provides an enjoyable way to see some of the 400 or so bird
species listed, including osprey, woolly necked stork, river
martin and numerous black ibis. Mammals can be seen as they come
to drink at the river, along with otters, turtles, mugger and
gharial crocodiles, for which there is a breeding sanctuary. There
is also a realistic chance to observe the very shy and rare
Gangetic dolphin.
Bardia sees less than a tenth of Chitwan's visitors so
accommodation choices are limited, only adding to the charm. Just
one of the lodges has its own dedicated resident naturalists and
elephant stable. It is possible to drive from Chitwan to Bardia,
but an overnight stop at Lumbini is required, an easier route is
the flight from Kathmandu to Nepalganj followed by a two hour
drive. Though the park is open year round, access can be limited
during the monsoon months.
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