On March 31st, we had an amazing jungle safari in Bardia. We had booked the Bardia Jungle Cottages, but for a variety of reasons switched to the Bardia Wildlife Resort Paradise. I’m sure there are books written on the tourist options in Nepal (and I write this from Pokhara Lakeside where there are dozens of trekker hotels), but I haven’t read them.

This first set of pix is from “Paradise” which is situated on one of the river tributaries that flows from the Himalayas and which draws the wildlife from Bardia National Park…

Rather than just book the half day with the guides at the park gate, we booked with our safari with the guys at our hotel and it was great. Shots from the jeep, rhino dung, and the jungles…

This was our first rhino sighting, a big one who wallowed for the whole time we were there in part of the river. Unfortunately, I do not have the fancy camera equipment of many tourists, so these pix are with an iPhone 6 zoomed thru some binoculars…

More pix from our view points and from the jeep. Note termite mounds, soil erosion under rocks and trees, tiger claw marks, etc…

More (including lunch)…

In total, we saw six rhinos, here are two who crossed the river from our main view point…

Eventually, after waiting quietly for almost three hours, we saw a tiger. It crossed the river (opposite direction from rhinos) further up stream about 300 yards away. Beautiful through binoculars and with the better camera equipment, but again, these pix are with an iPhone thru binocs…

Not long after the tiger sighting, we walked the three miles back to the park entrance. It was beautiful and we saw more deer (of which we saw many dozens of 3 of the 5 species there), some monkeys, various birds, and more telltale signs of tigers, rhinos, and elephants…

At the end of our walk we went through park headquarters where they have a couple elephants used for safaris and work, and rhino that was orphaned and can’t seem to make in the wild (and who killed a man a few years ago). The next day, April 1st, when we drove to Lumbini, we stopped at a dam and saw crocodiles, a wild river turtles, a variety of fish, etc…

 

Study Questions:

1. Research wild animal parks in Nepal & India. Discuss extinction, poaching, and conservation efforts.
2. Specifically, research the biology and ecology of tigers & rhinos. Discuss.
3. Where would you like to take a safari? Why, how?