Once upon a time, Lord Krishna decided to use the rhino for battle and prohibited the use of elephants as he found that mahouts sitting atop "Haathi" were easy targets for enemy archers. Thus, a rhino was commandeered, dressed in armour and made ready for military service. But when the "Unicorn" was brought before Lord Krishna, he found that the animal was too stupid to learn and obey orders, so it was driven back to the forest - with its protective covering still on it. And that is why to this day, the rhino still have armour plating on them!

Indian legend

The terai region that forms a natural boundary between the Plains of Ganga and the first rampart of the Himalayan ranges harbour some of the most dramatic forest patches in the Indian subcontinent. A jungle safari through one of these pristine jungles, the Royal Chitwan National Park (The Heart of the Forest: Chit - heart, Wan - forest) is an enthralling experience. Established in 1973 and only 145km south west of Kathmandu, this former hunting preserve of the Rana Prime Ministers of Nepal covers an area over 932km2, which shelter myriad floral and animal species.

Straddling the Shivalik range, Chitwan is covered with tropical deciduous vegetation and two types of forest - the sal forest and the floodplain forest, can be seen here. Sal (Shorea robusta) dominates the park covering an area of more than 70%, while the grasslands cover 20%, riverine forest make up 7%, and the remainder 3% constitute Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forest, swamps and marshlands.

Chitwan is known for its animals and the Asian Elephant, the Gaur (the largest of all bovines), Indian Wild Dog, Striped Hyena, the Leopard, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, 4 species of deer - Hog Deer, Sambar, Chital, and Barking Deer - find shelter here. Some of the rarest fauna found in Chitwan are the Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis) a kind of goat-antelope, and the Spotted Linsang (Prionodon pardicolor) a species of viverrid (civet). The endangered long-nosed crocodile the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) and the Gangetic Dolphin can also be seen here in the Narayani river. Nevertheless, the supreme beasts in these misty forests are indubitably the mythical Royal Bengal Tiger and the One-horned Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis).

Chitwan is also "Kingdom Come" to paradise" for birdwatchers and over 450 species have been listed here. On the roster are the Giant Hornbill, Bengal Florican, Black Stork, White Stork, Brahminy Duck, Blackheaded Oriole, Golden Oriole, Paradise Flycatcher, Green-breasted Pitta, Great Slaty woodpecker and the Goldenbacked Woodpecker. The best months for birdwatching are February and March.