GREAT ONE HORNED RHINOCEROS (Rhinoceros Unicornis)
This is the largest of the three species of Asiatic rhinoceri.
Approximately 1,200 are left in the Indian Sub-continent and this constitutes
the world population of the species.
There are about 425 in the National Park and
surrounding area. Folds in the thick skin give it's armory look while the
closely matted mass of horny fibers issuing from the skin provides the rhino
with a horn. The horn grows throughout it's life and if lost, is reproduced.
Habitat destruction and heavy poaching of this animal
for its horn, believed by the Chinese to be a potent aphrodisiac, have been
largely responsible for the decline in population during recent decades.
Gestation period is of sixteen months with the young weighing around 60
kilogram at birth. In September 1994, the staff of Safari Narayani Lodge was
able to rescue a 3 month old baby rhino that had been separated from it's
mother and partially mauled by a tiger. The Park Authorities have taken it
under it's care.
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GAUR ( gaurus)
This is the largest of the world's wild oxen. A bull may stand over six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh more than a ton. The Gaur keeps to the densely forested Churia hills, coming down to the lower slopes during the dry months of February to April, in search of water and greener pastures. Found in small herds, it is very shy.
During these dry months, we arrange special excursions to the grazing grounds of the Gaur. Should you find yourself at Safari Narayani Lodge during this time, talk to the Program Manager to make arrangements.
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SPOTTED DEER / CHITAL (axis axis)
Perhaps the most graceful and most beautiful of all deer. It is easily identifiable by the white spots on its brown coat. The stags have long antlers with three tines. This is the only large mammal in the Park which is found in large herds. They preferopen
forest and marginal lands between grassland and forests. They are the most
common deer in the Park. The peak of the mating season is in late spring. Young
are born after 8 months.
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HOG DEER (axis porcinus)
Related to the spotted deer but smaller and far less graceful. The name is
derived from its squat appearance and habit of running with the head down
instead of bounding like other deer. .Sometimes found in groups and preferring
the grassland margins of the rivers, they are wary animals with acute sense of
sight, smell and hearing. The gestation period is eight months.
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SAMBAR (cervus unicolor)
This is the largest of the deer family in the sub-continent. A large stag may
scale 600 to 700 pounds. It has a shaggy brown coat and the stags possess thick
antlers with full points being reached in the fourth year. Forested hillsides
are their preferred habitat and a diet of grass, leaves and wild fruits. Power
of sight is moderate but that of smell & hearing is acute. Rarely found
associating in large numbers, Stags leave the hinds after the mating season in
the fall to lead a solitary life.
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BARKING DEER (muntiacus muntjak)
This reddish coloured deer seen singularly or in pairs is the smallest of the four kinds of deer found in the Park. Prefers densely forested hills but is sometimes found in the lowlands. The antlers are small consisting of a short brow-tine and an unbranched
beam. The name is derived from its alarm call, which sounds rather like a hoarse
dog's bark.
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SLOTH BEAR (melursus ursinus)
This shaggy black bear with an elongated muzzle and short hind legs is rather uncouth in appearance. Despite its name the Sloth bear can be very agile on its feet, and may weigh 300 pounds or more. Like the Himalayan Black Bear the Sloth Bear has a white 'V' on its chest. Fruit, honey and insects, especially termites, are the most important food. The Sloth bear is quite common in the Park, which is an ideal habitat. The young are born after seven months and stay with the mother until they are two or three years old when they attain maturity.
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WILD BOAR (sus scrofa)
With its sparse black coat and bristled mane a large boar may stand three feet at the shoulder and weigh 300 to 400 pounds. The males have razor sharp tusks. The wild boar is omnivorous and its diet includes roots, tubers, insects, snakes and carrion. They feed normally in the early morning or late evening. Four to six young are born at one time and the mother shelters them in a heaped up mass of grass or branches, which she builds before she litters.
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ROYAL BENGAL TIGER (panthera tigris tigris)
Now on the "Endangered List" there are perhaps 2,000 survivors of this subspecies of the tiger in the entire Indian subcontinent. Supposedly nocturnal but certainly elusive, the essentially solitary tiger covers great distances and is a difficult animal to see in the wild. About 40 remain in the Park today, though conservationists say the figure is much higher.At the apex of the food chain in the Park, the Tiger hunts deer, wild boar, monkeys and large sized birds to form the bulk of its diet.
The male Tiger marks it's territory to protect the best hunting and mating grounds. Natural landmarks such as tr
acks, streams and solitary trees would mark the boundary of it's rather large
territorySpraying, scratching and rubbing itself against trees is the most common way of leaving it's "signature" for other tigers to recognize and acknowledge or in some cases challenge. Obviously, the strongest one would occupy the very best of hunting and mating grounds, relegating the vanquished to outlying areas. Not surprisingly, a male will tolerate several female in it's territory, though the
females are said to have mini territories within the larger male domain
We have come to recognize that the territory across the Rapti river from Safari Narayani Lodge is a prime area. Several tiger sightings along the many paths that criss-cross the jungle, and finding of several "markings" left by male tigers, has led us to conclude that this area is a prized one.
One of the most spectacular sightings witnessed by guests and staff of Safari Narayani Lodge was two years ago, when at the banks of the Rapti river, across from the Lodge, two males Tigers were locked in aggressive battle. The fight lasted about 15 minutes from which the victor, after inflicting visible wounds, left the defeated tiger to lick its wound and pride. For several days thereafter, the wounded tiger could be sighted in a secluded spot in the same vicinity. Very soon after, it vanished from the spot and obviously from the territory as well.
Talk to our Naturalist on the latest movement of the tiger in our area. For those interested in learning more about the tiger and its lifestyle, we strongly recommend reading Valmik Thapar's "Tiger". A copy of the book can be found in any major bookstore in Kathmandu.
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LEOPARD (panthera pardus)
Although less common than in former times, but because of its greater adaptability, the leopard has been able to hold its own better that the tiger. The leopard will kill and eat anything it can overpower with safety - cattle, deer, monkeys, smaller beasts of prey, larger rodents, birds and reptiles. Being more tolerant of the sun, they frequently hunt by day, particularly if they have not secured food the previous night. They are not restricted to heavy forest or cover like tigers.It is quite common for the Leopard to carry it's prey up onto the branches of a large tree, away from other scavenging animals and especially from the tiger. Both guests and staff of Safari Narayani Lodge have witnessed this.
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GANGETIC DOLPHIN (platanista gangeticus)
This fresh water dolphin, upto eight feet in length, is present in the Narayani River on the west side of the Park. It surfaces to breathe about every sixty seconds. Life in turbid waters has resulted in the extreme reduction of the eyes. The jaws of the animal are well adapted for browsing on bottom-living crustaceans. The colour ranges from dark lead to sooty black, with the older individuals having a few lighter patches on the sides. Normally one young is born after a gestation period of eight to nine months.
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SMALL MAMMALS
These include Langur Monkey (presbytis entellus ), Rhesus Macaque Monkey (macaca mulatta), Jackal (canis
aureus), Indian Civet (viverra zibetha), Jungle Cat (fells viverrrina), Yellow-throated Marten (martes flavigula), Mongoose (herpestes edwardsi), Common Otter (lutra lutra), Large Flying Squirrel (petaurista petauista) and the India Porcupine (hystrix indica)
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REPTILES
There are two kinds of crocodile in the Park. The Marsh Mugger (crocodilus palustris) a blunt nosed crocodile, which can attain a length of 13 to 14 feet, is found chiefly in the small lakes and rivers. It eats mammals, birds, turtles, fish and carrion.
The Gharial Crocodile (Gavialis gangeticus) with its characteristic long thin snout sometimes reaches a length of 20 feet. It is almost exclusively a fish-eater and is found mainly along the large fresh water areas and rivers, such as the Narayani and Rapti.
Another common reptile found in this area is the Monitor Lizard.
The India Python characteristically is found in or near the small lakes formed on old river courses. Poisonous snakes include the Common Cobra, the King Cobra, the Common Krait and the Green Pit Viper. There are also a wide variety of non-poisonous snakes.
