“If you get charged by a rhino, run and hide behind a tree”, said Saroj very seriously. My mother laughed a little nervously. I smiled, unconcerned. We had just set foot in the jungle of Chitwan National Park after a long canoe ride on the river with our guide who was armed with a stick. I was eager to see a rhino, but I did not really believe we were going to find one on foot.
We promised nonetheless that we would run and hide if we were attacked by a rhino and Frederik, my mother, my sister, my brother-in-law, my brother, another guide and I followed Saroj in the jungle. The weather was gorgeous, it was warm and we were all very happy to be there.
Fifty meters further, I was still reflecting on our chances to see a greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis)– which would be my very first rhino – when Saroj motioned us to stop and be quiet. He pointed at something located on the ground in the woods. At the same time, I became aware of a low rumbling sound coming from the undergrowth. My eyes took a few seconds to get used to the shade and then I saw it: it was a rhino lying down on the ground. It was fast asleep. I instantly thought of this scene in Jurassic Park when they find the sick triceratops. It felt unreal and I could not believe it: a rhino, so quickly, and so close! Its ears were moving around, and I am sure it knew we were there, but since we did not come closer, it did not seem to be too bothered by us and went on napping.
That was our first encounter with a rhino in Chitwan NP and boy, it was promising.
Delighted, we went on for another half an hour. We soon left the woods to enter the grassland. We were now in the middle of a path, two walls of 5 meter-high elephant grass on each side of us. I felt again like I was in a Jurassic Park movie and thought to myself “it is dangerous to walk in the tall grass”. I was still following Saroj, who had picked up a stone and seemed to tense slightly. I was advancing merrily when he suddenly stopped in his tracks, his stick in one hand and the stone in the other. All was silent. Then we heard a big grunt, Saroj threw his stone in the grass and started running while a thrashing noise came from behind the grass. Whatever it was, it was big, it was fast, and it was coming towards us. All at once, my whole family was running like mad. Saroj was waiting for us at the end of the path, a smile on his lips. A rhino had charged at us from behind the grass but had stopped just in time. My mother was white as a sheet.
That was our second encounter with a rhino in Chitwan NP, and it gave us quite a fright.
Midday. The sun was beating down on us as we walked on the open road. We were glad to take refuge in a watchtower to have lunch. From the top of the tower, we had a very good view of the grassland on one side of the road, and on the marsh on the other side. We were enjoying our packed lunch when something moved in the ditch below us. Guillaume, my brother, called out: our third rhino of the day was gently wading through the water. Greater one-horned rhinos are excellent swimmers and are often found in ponds and ditches, taking a bath. We watched it for quite a while after finishing our food, and it was a wonderful lunch break.
That was our third encounter with a rhino in Chitwan NP, and it was a peaceful experience.
Sunset. We had walked all afternoon in the heat of the jungle. We had found no more rhino. Now came the long walk back to the canoe that would take us back to our hotel. Exhausted by the long day, we hurried along as we did not want to find ourselves in the park in the dark. For the third time this day, Saroj suddenly motioned us to stop. Ten meters further, on the road, a rhino had emerged from the grass and slowly moved to its bathroom. Indeed, greater one-horned rhinos have the fun habit to create mounds of their own poo, where they regularly return to relieve themselves. We all watched the rhino cross the road, add a few droppings to its pile, then walked back very slowly where it came from. We could not believe our luck to be so near a rhino and catch a glimpse of this interesting behavior. We waited patiently for the rhino to be far enough and made our way back just as darkness set in.
That was our fourth and last encounter with a rhino during our walking safari, and it was so much fun.
For the next three days, we explored the park on a jeep. The advantage of the jeep is that you can cover much larger distances than on foot, and so you are more likely to see rhinos and other animals like tigers (though we did not manage to spot any tigers despite our best efforts). Also, you are safer within the car than on the path. But traveling by jeep is a noisy business and the rhinos we saw were more often far away from the car and trying to get away from us. Yet, we were blessed with the sighting of a mother and her adorable calf, and we saw a few other rhinos here and there. Each encounter was obviously great, but those made from the car could not be compared to what we felt when walking near a two-ton rhino on their own territory.
We visited Chitwan in November, which is the best time to trek in Nepal and see the Himalayas with the clear and sunny skies. Yet, it is not the best time for wildlife watching. In Chitwan, it was very warm and humid, and the grass was tall everywhere. It was thus harder to see animals. Little tip: if you want to visit Chitwan and see many rhinos, tigers, bears or other wildlife, it is best to do so between March and April, when the grass has been burnt and you can enjoy an open view on the grasslands.
Would you also like to visit Chitwan National Park with a wonderful guide who knows lots about wildlife? Contact Saroj Khanal (https://www.facebook.com/saroi.khanal). Another tip: it is cheaper to arrange with him directly than through the hotel you will be staying at, so don’t hesitate to contact him in advance!
English (UK) 