Royal Chitwan National Park stands today as a successful testimony of nature conservation in South Asia. This is the first national park of Nepal established in 1973 to preserve a unique ecosystem significantly valuable to the whole world. The park covering a pristine area of 932 sq. km is situated in the subtropical inner Terai lowlands of southern central part of Nepal. The park has gained much wider recognition in the world when UNESCO included this area on the list of World Heritage Site in 1984.
Formerly, the Chitwan valley was well known for big game and was exclusively managed as a hunting reserve for the Rana Prime Ministers and their guests until 1950. In 1963, the area south of Rapti was demarcated as a rhinoceros sanctuary. In 1970, His late Majesty King Mahendra had approved in principle the creation of Royal Chitwan National Park.
The park consists of churia hills, ox-bow lakes, flood plains of Rapti, Reu and Narayani rivers. The Churia hill rises gradually towards the east from 150 m to over 800 m. The lower but most rugged Someshwor hills occupy most of the western portion of the park.
.Chitwan was declared a national park in 1973, following approval by the late King Mahendra in December 1970.
.The bye-laws (Royal Chitwan National Park Regulations) were introduced on 4 March 1974.
.Substantial additions were made to the park in 1977 and the adjacent Parsa Wildlife Reserve was established in 1984.
.The habitat had been well protected as a royal hunting reserve from 1846 to 1951 during the Rana regime.
.An area south of the Rapti River was first proposed as a rhinoceros sanctuary in 1958 , demarcated in 1963, and later incorporated into the national park.
.Chitwan was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1984.
