new route open for jungle safari within Chitwan National Park

CHITWAN, March 25: On Thursday, a new route for jungle safaris within the Chitwan National Park was launched from Nawalpur.

According to Santosh Dhital, chairman of the committee responsible for building the Jungle Tourism Road, the 37.1 km tourist route that connects the old island camp in the park's western sector to Giddheni Post was formally opened on Thursday.

According to Chairman Dhital, the safari will take place over a distance of about 55 km from Giddheni post to the old island camp, using alternate routes besides the main road.

The municipality of Gaindakot-17 contributed five lakh rupees toward the construction of the tourism route, and hoteliers contributed 1.6 million  rupees. Chairman Dhital stated that rhinoceroses can be seen in large numbers, particularly when entering the park via the new tourism route established for jungle safaris within the park.

During the first forest safari conducted on this route on Thursday with the participation of public representatives, journalists, hoteliers, conservationists, and the park's chief conservation officer, Haribhadra Acharya, 14 one-horned rhinoceroses were discovered. The tourism route that was opened for visitors who want to see numerous one-horned rhinoceroses, other rare wild animals, and various species of birds is a great route, according to Chief Conservation Officer Acharya, and it will also help in monitoring the activities of wild animals inside the park.

Since last January, the park has allowed for forest safaris from the tourist area Amaltari to the "core" area within the park. In December, work on building a tourist route for safaris within the park from the Divya Community Forest in Devchuli, Nawalpur, advanced. Only two hotels Temple Tiger and Tharu Village previously had permission from Nawalpur for safari inside the park; other hotels and residences ran jungle safaris for tourists in the community forest area outside the park.

The hotel and tourism businessmen of this region are excited after the long-distance jungle safari within the park will start from Nawalpur. The jungle tourism route launched on Thursday is claimed to be the second longest route in the country.