Chitwan National Park

Chitwan National Park (952 sq km) occupies the inner Terai lowlands between the Rapti, Reu and Narayani rivers at the southern base of the Churia hills. Inscribed in 1984 under natural criteria (vii), (ix) and (x), it is one of the finest examples of the natural habitat type that once covered much of the Indo-Gangetic plain - now reduced to a few protected pockets.

Established in 1973 as Nepal's first national park, Chitwan was previously a royal hunting reserve. Its status was elevated and it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

The one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) population in Chitwan reached 752 individuals in the 2021 census - up from fewer than 100 in the 1960s, demonstrating one of the world's most successful conservation recoveries.

Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) numbers stood at 128 adults in the 2022 census, contributing significantly to Nepal's national tiger count of 355 - ahead of the 2022 doubling target set at the 2010 St Petersburg Tiger Summit.

The Tharu indigenous people have lived in the Terai for centuries, developing genetic resistance to malaria. About 40,000 Tharu reside in the buffer zone, with Community User Groups (BUGs) managing natural resources.

Chitwan supports 544 bird species (61% of Nepal's total), including four globally threatened species: giant hornbill, sarus crane, lesser adjutant stork, and Bengal florican.