CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK

Many are gone, a few are left. If it wasn't for the conserved spaces, many more would have gone and possibly, none would have been left.

The uneasy yet fulfilling journey we did on Elephant's back, the miles we travelled deep into the national park, dips we took into the cold and clean water of Baikuntha Lake were all new and exciting experiences to me. Trip to Chitwan National Park and other parts of Terai have made me realize how much of wildlife I haven't explored yet. In a way, we were fortunate to see so many species in their habitat; so close to us. For instance, there were wildlife photographers waiting for 3 days in a row but still couldn't spot a bear whereas we saw two bears in a single jeep safari.

However, it makes me worried to see the devastation caused by wildfires; ashes have blanketed the forest floor, trees are standing with dried leaves, many are half burned and a continuous smoke keeps rising. Escaping Kathmandu for fresh air has only landed me at places, which are no different. Interestingly, I used to tell my grandma to stop smoking but now I feel as if I smoke more poisonous air than she does. Such wildfires, smoky forests and cities, polluted rivers are probably going to be more frequent and drastic in coming years due to climate change. Though I always want to breathe fresh air, I have accepted that I would have to live with smoke and dust. Did you?

Apr 15, 2021, 1:17 PM