NEPAL 032612 A Chitwan Day of Birds and Rhinos

Hello again from Chitwan National Park

We began our day of looking for and enjoying wildlife on the Rapati river in a dugout canoe being poled along as Gopal, our naturalist guide, pointed out one colorful bird (could be a Kingfisher) after another (perhaps a Bee Eater, an Oriole, or or the Indian Roller).  It was quiet except for the sound of water sloshing along the sides of the boat and the bird sounds (and our whoops and hollers of delight when we saw yet another fabulous bird). 

 At the -- unwelcome --end of  birding from the dugout canoe, a second guide joined us for a walk through the dry leaves and crisp vegetation of the dry season jungle to look for animals.  We got glimpses of wild boar, deer, monkeys, and a really good look at a lady bug and a bright red cotton beetle. Mostly we were walking carefully though brown leaves that carpeted the floor of a very thirsty jungle awaiting the monsoon rains in about 2 months.

After lunch we took a "jeep safari" to some lakes to look for rhinos. Silly me, I thought that meant that a jeep would pull up to the hotel and whisk us off into the jungle.  Think again, Marian! We walked through the village, took a dugout across the river, walked more to an area where our jeep awaited.  After a sweaty hour of unanticipated exercise :-) we were in our jeep and were bouncing along a road made of rocks the size of baseballs.  

Eventually we came to the lake and were treated to a large rhino enjoying a soak in the water.  He put his head under the water and blew bubbles, bobbed back up, snorted, and went down again.  His most delightful maneuver was to execute a perfect barrel roll = tip over to one side and roll under the water  so that his legs stuck straight up and we could examine all four of his substantial and flat  feet. We were thrilled at his "antics" and watched him for a long time.  We also saw another large rhino grazing in the forest.  He was white because he had dried off.  The rhinos here in Chitwan have only one horn and the Nepalese Army is stationed in and patrols the park to prevent their poaching.

Here are a  couple of rhino pictures that Gopal sent to me after we had returned to Kathmandu.  Donna Barnett commented that the top image could have been carved into Hindu Temple -- these temples are famous for explicit carvings of various positions for having sex for, as our youthful male guides informed us restraining smiles and possibly giggles, to instruct those possibly naive members of our own species.  The other image could be titled "Rhino by the Rapati at Sunset."

There are so many of you who would have delighted in sharing this day with us.  Wish you could have been here.

Love to you all, Marian