The forest area in Baghmara, a buffer zone community forest and major tourist destination near Sauraha in Chitwan, is inundated each year during the rainy season. Floodwaters from the Budhi Rapti river enters the forest area of Baghmara, severely affecting wildlife. Many wild animals, according to conservationists, are swept away by the flooding and inundation.

To address the recurring problem, the Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest has constructed land mounds in the forest areas. According to Jit Bahadur Tamang, the chairman of the Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest Users’ Committee, the land mounds were built in the central and the southern parts of the forest before summer season this year. "The land mounds have been a huge relief for wildlife like deer, rabbits," said Tamang.

The community forest, spread over an area of 215 hectares, is home to diverse flora and fauna. Wildlife enthusiasts visit the area to get a glimpse of spotted deer, rhinos, several species of birds, and even tigers.

The Budhi Rapti river passes through Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest and empties into the Rapti river to the south. With much of the forest located in lowlands near the riverbanks, almost 70 percent of the forest area gets inundated during the rainy season, according to Tamang.

Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest Users’ Committee constructed the land mounds in April-May. Each mound is 36 metres long and 25 metres wide, and about seven feet high.

"Floodwaters can rise as high as five feet on the mounds, but animals can climb up and stay safe," said Tamang, adding that he saw many animals taking refuge on the mounds during the recent floods.

Each mound covers around three kattha of land and the forest users' committee spent Rs1.1 million on the construction.

"This year, the Baghmara forest area saw big flooding, but the wild animals remained largely unaffected thanks to the mounds, which were constructed right before the rainy season. In 2017, floods swept away many animals and some of them died," said Tamang.

Baghmara forest is a favoured destination for visitors to Sauraha, a popular wildlife tourism hub. Tourists often visit the forest for boat rides along the Budhi Rapti river and splendid views of the forest from the view tower constructed in the middle of the forest. The area is renowned for its elephant safaris and is home to spotted deer, one-horned rhinos, wild boars and leopards. Tigers are also spotted in the area quite frequently.

"So it is very essential to protect wildlife in the Baghmara area and promote tourism. It seems that more such mounds are needed in three other parts of the community forest," said Tamang.

Conservationists have hailed the Baghmara Buffer Zone Community Forest Users’ Committee for constructing the mounds. Abinash Thapa Magar, information officer at the Chitwan National Park, praised the mounds for protecting animals from floods.

"Such land mounds have proven effective in buffer zone forests. Some areas of the national park area are also prone to flooding, but no such structures have been built there," said Thapa Magar.

Floods in the Chitwan National Park, the country's first national park, and its surroundings often sweep away large animals, including rhinos, some of which are carried as far as India.