Greater one-horned rhinos in Chitwan: biology, sightings and safety

What makes the greater one-horned rhinoceros different

The greater one-horned rhinoceros is found only in the lowlands of Nepal and northern India. It carries a single horn on its nose, made of keratin, which is the same stuff as your fingernails. Its thick, gray skin falls in deep folds at the shoulders and thighs, so the animal looks as if it’s wearing plates of armor.

Adults are heavier than most cars, yet they can move quickly when they want to, and they swim well. They’re mainly grazers, feeding on grasses, reeds and water plants, and they spend the hot hours lying in pools and mud wallows to keep cool and keep the insects off.

Rhinos are mostly solitary. You’ll often see a mother with a calf, which stays with her for a couple of years, while adult males keep to themselves. They use shared dung piles, known as middens, to mark areas, and your guide may point these out on a walk (trust us, it’s more interesting than it sounds).

How Chitwan’s rhinos came back

By the middle of the 20th century, rhinos in Chitwan were in serious trouble. Forest clearance for settlement and poaching for horn had pushed the population to a low point, and the species was close to disappearing from Nepal altogether.

Protection changed that. The creation of Chitwan National Park in 1973, armed patrols, stricter law enforcement and the later buffer-zone system, which gives nearby communities a share of park income, all played a part. Nepal has had several years with no rhinos recorded as poached.

In fact, the recovery has been strong enough that rhinos have been moved from Chitwan to other parks in Nepal to start or strengthen populations there. The 2021 count found 752 rhinos in Nepal, 694 of them in Chitwan. The threats haven’t gone away, though: floods, disease, invasive plants in the grasslands and occasional conflict with farmers whose crops border the park all remain.

Where and when you are most likely to see rhinos

Can you see rhinos in Chitwan? Usually, yes. They’re often seen in the grassland and along the rivers near Sauraha, so even a half-day drive has a good chance. They also wander into the buffer-zone community forests and, at times, close to the village itself.

A jeep safari is the most reliable way to find rhinos, because it covers the most ground. For the other animals you may see on the same drive, take a look at our guide to Chitwan’s animals.

Staying safe around rhinos on foot

Rhinos have poor eyesight but good hearing and smell. A rhino that’s surprised at close range, or a mother protecting her calf, may charge. On a jungle walk, your two licensed guides lead, choose the route and decide when to stop or turn back.

• Walk in single file behind the lead guide and keep talking to a minimum.
• Do exactly what your guides say, immediately and without arguing.
• If a rhino reacts, your guide decides what the group does; follow their call at once, with no debate.
• Keep bags and cameras secured so you can move quickly if your guide asks you to.
• Never approach a rhino for a closer photo, and never stand between a mother and her calf.

Rhinos and the river: canoe safety

Rhinos are perfectly at home in water and sometimes cross the Rapti. In a dugout canoe you sit lower than the bank and close to the action, which makes for memorable views but calls for calm behavior.

• Stay seated and keep your weight centered; dugout canoes are narrow and tip easily.
• Keep your hands and cameras inside the canoe.
• Let the boatman keep a safe distance, and don’t ask him to move closer.
• Stay quiet so you don’t startle animals at the water’s edge.

What a rhino safari in Chitwan usually looks like

A typical rhino safari in Chitwan starts soon after sunrise. You meet your guide at the lodge, cross the Rapti by small boat or drive to a park or community forest entry point, and then spend three to four hours moving slowly through grassland and along river channels.

You’d think an animal that size would be easy to find. Not always: rhinos can be surprisingly hard to spot in tall grass. Guides watch for movement in the grass tops, listen for snorts and splashing, and check wallows they know are in use. When you find one, the jeep stops at a sensible distance and engines are switched off so you can watch it feed or rest.

Many visitors see their first rhino on the very first outing, but some need a second or third. So building two or more activities into your stay is the simplest way to improve your odds.

Photo tips for rhinos

If you’d like plenty of time for photography, a longer stay with several drives helps. Our 3 nights 4 days package includes room for a full-day jeep safari.