Get to know two of the newest members of Chitwan’s wildlife family: the camels. When Keshab Khanal brought the two female camels to Sauraha two years ago, the story was not as it is today. The locals didn’t appreciate the creatures and misconceptions made it difficult at an earlier stage. [break]
“People said that they would destroy the crops and there would be no rain,” Khanal, who also runs a travel agency and works as a nature guide at the Chitwan National Park, said.
And ironically, it didn’t rain for nine months, which only irked the locals, Khanal added.
But within two years, the mentality of the people has changed and the camel owner is now happy to see his new venture work.
“I tried to bring a fresh idea and give people something new,” he said of the existing recreational activities such as elephant rides and boating that have existed since tourism flourished in the area.
Hira Bote, a tour guide at Traveler’s Jungle Camp, said the camels have been an added attraction in Sauraha. He said that it’s a “new experience that tourists like.”
“I’ve never seen a camel in my life, and it was nice to see it for the first time here,” Bote said of his initial encounter with the camels.
But bringing the camels to Sauraha was a feat in itself for Khanal. It took him some years of research in Rajasthan to study if camels would adapt to the temperature and environment in Chitwan.
After that, it took Rs 400,000 and 14 days to walk the camels from India to Sauraha via the border town of Raxaul. But his investment has turned beneficial. Khanal said that he was to recover his costs within six months and in the peak season, he earns about Rs 20,000 from the 15-minute rides set at Rs 120 per ride. He added that it also covers the costs for the caretaker of the camel and animals’ food that come around Rs 30,000 monthly.
For the coming season, Khanal plans to introduce camel buggies and then venture into ponies. “It’ll be something new for Nepalis that they can enjoy,” Khanal said. “It’s just a sense of fun.”
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