16/01/2026
Before 1973, when Chitwan National Park was officially established, King Mahendra of Nepal participated in royal hunting expeditions in the Chitwan region.
During that period, Chitwan was used as a royal hunting reserve, and controlled hunts were organized mainly for state guests and foreign dignitaries. Animals such as tigers, rhinoceros, deer, and wild boar were hunted, which was common practice among many royal families worldwide at that time.
After the early 1970s, attitudes toward wildlife changed. King Mahendra’s era marked the transition from hunting to conservation, leading to the protection of wildlife and the declaration of Chitwan as Nepal’s first national park in 1973.
