Wildlife

Wildlife

While the Northern region is the Himalayan Region, the southern region known as terai is covered with dense tropical jungles teeming with diverse wildlife and exotic birds. Here canoe rides on the jungle rivers, nature walks, bird watching excursions and village tours are waiting for you.

There are 14 National Parks and Wildlife Reserves in Nepal

SHEY-PHOKSUNDO NATIONAL PARKS

Established : 1984
Area : 3,555 square kilometers

Location :
Shey-Phoksundo National Park is the largest National Park of Nepal and is situated in the mountain region of Western Nepal, covering parts of Mugu and Dolpa Districts.

Features :
The park contains luxuriant forests, mainly comprised of blue pine, spruce, cypress, poplar, deadar, fir and birch. The Jugdual River valley consists mostly of Quercus species. The trans-Himalayan area has a near-desert type vegetation of mainly dwarf juniper and caragana shrubs.

The Park provides prime habitat for snow leopard and blue sheep. Other common animals found in the park are: goral; Himalayan tahr, serow, leopard, wolf, jackal, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan weasel, Himalayan mouse here, yellow-throated marten, langur and rhesus monkey.

The park is equally rich in many species of birds, such as Impeyan pheasant (danphe), blood pheasant, cheer pheasant, red and yellow billed cough, raven, jungle crow, snow partridge and many others.

KHAPTAD NATIONAL PARK

Established : 1984
Area : 255 square kilometers

Location :
Khapatad National Park is located in the midmountain region of Far-Western Nepal at an air distance of 446 km. from Kathmandu.The core area is situated at the crosspoint of Bajhang, Doti and Achham Districts of Seti Zone.

Features :
The park covers the unique mid-mountain ecosystem of Western Nepal, and is situated at about 3000m. elevation. The upland is a rolling plateau of grasslands intermixed with wak and coniferous forests.

There is a great variety of vegetation types ranging from sub-tropical forest in the lower altitudes (Jhingrana and Chaikot of Doti) to temperate forest on the Khaptad plateau. The most common tree species are chirpine, spruce, fir, maple, birch, alder and rhododendron. Dense bamboo stands (nigalo) and wide varieties of medicinal herbs occur in the park.

The most common fauna in the park are leopard, Himalayan Yellow-throated marten, Himalayan black bear, musk deer, goral, Himalayan tahr and others. The common bird species include Impeyan pheasant, chukor partridge, kalij pheasant, monal, red and yellow-billed blue magpie, and Himalayan griffin. Awide variety of colourful butterflies, moths and insects is also an important feature of the Khaptad ecosystem.

The core area of Khaptad is of much religious importance. It includes the Ashram of Khaptad Swami, a renowned spiritual saint. Therefore, all the vices of modern society such as alcohol, cigarettes and tobacco, violence and killing are prohibited.

ROYAL CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK

Established : 1973
Area : 932 square kilometers

Location :
Royal Chitwan National Park, the oldest national park in Nepal, is situated in the sub-tropical inner Terai lowlands of South-World Heritage Site in 1984.

Features :
The park covers a pristine area with a unique ecosystem of significant value to the world. Ir contains the Churiya hills, Ox-bow lakes and flood plains of Rapti, Teu and Narayani Rivers. Approximately 70% of the park vegetation as sal forest. The remaining vegetation types include grassland (20%), riverine forest (7%), and sal with chirpine (3%), the later occuring at the top of the Churiya range. The riverine forests consist mainly of khair, sissoo and simal. The grasslands form a diverse and complex community with over 50 species. The saccharum species, often called elephant grass, can reach 8m in height. The shorter grasses such as Imperate are useful for thatch roofs.There are more than 43 species of mammals in the park. The park is especially renowned for the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, the tiger and the gharial crocodile along with many other common species of wild animals. It also harbors endangered species such as gaur, wild elephant, four-horned antelope, striped hyena, pangolin, Gangetic dolphin, monitor lizard and python.

Other animals found in the park include the sambar, chital, hog deer, barking deer, sloth bear, palm civet langur and rhesus monkey.

There are over 450 species of birds in the park. Among the endangered birds are the Bengal florican, giant hornvill, lesser florican, black stork and white stork. Common birds seem in the park include the peafowl, red jungle fowl, and different species of egrets, herons, kingfishers, flycatchers and woodpeckers. The best time for bird watching is march and December.

More than 45 species of amphibians and reptiles occur in the park, some of which are the marsh crocodile, cobra, green pit viper and various species of frogs and tortoises.

The park is actively engaged in the scientific studies of several species of wild fauna and flora.

LANGTANG NATIONAL PARK

Established : Designated in 1970-71 and gazetted in 1976.
Area : 1,710 square kilometers

Location :
Situated in the Central Himalaya, Langtang is the nearest park from Kathmandu. The area extends from 32 km north of Kathmandu to the Nepal-China (Tibet) border.

Features :
Langtang National Park encloses the catchments of two major river systems: one draining west into the Trisuli River and the other east to the Sun Koshi River.

Some of the best examples of graded climated conditions in the Central Himalaya are found here. The complex topography and geography together with the varied climatic patterns have enabled a wide spectrum of vegetation types to be established. These include small areas of subtropical forest at mid-elevations, with alpine scrub and grasses giving way to bare rocks and snow.

Oaks, chir pine, maple, fir, blue pine, hemlock, spruce and various species of rhododendron make up the main forest species.

The variations in altitude and topography along with the existing forest cover (approx.25%of the total area) provide habitat for a wide
range of animals including wild dog, red panda, pika, muntjake, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan tahr, ghoral, serow, rhesus monkey and common langur. The Trisuli Bhote Koshi forms an important route for birds in spring and autumn to migrate between India and Tibet.

About 45villages are situated within the park boundaries, out they are not under park jurisdiction. In total, about 3000 households (ca. 16, 200 people) depend on park resources for wood and firewood. Culturally the area is mixed, the home of several ethnic groups which have influenced the natural environment over the centuries.

ROYAL BARDIA NATIONAL PARK

Established : First gazetted in 1976 and further extended in 1986. National Park status was gazetted in 1988.
Area : 968 square kilometers

Location :
Royal Bardia National Park is situated in the mid-Far Western Terai, east of the Karnali River.

Features :
The Park is the largest and most undisturbed wilderness area in the Terai. About 70% of the park is covered with dominantly sal forest with a balanced mixture of grassland, savanna and riverine forest. Approximately 1500 inhabitants of this valley have been resettled elsewhere. Since farming has ceased in the Babai Valley, natural vegetation is regenerating, making it an area of prime habitat for wildlife.

The park provides excellent habitat for endangered animals like the rhinoceros, wild elephant, tiger, swamp deer, black buck, gharial crocodile, marsh mugger crocodileand Gangetic dolphin. Endangered birds include the Bengal florican, lesser florican and Sarus crane. More than 30 differentmammals, over 200 species of birds, and many snakes, lizards and fosh have been recorded in the park's forest, grassland and river habitats.A good number of resident and migratory birds are found in the park.

RARA NATIONAL PARK

Established : 1976
Area : 106 square kilometers

Location :
Rara National Park is located in North-west Nepal about 371 km air distance from Kathmandu. Most of the park area including Lake Rara, lies in Mugu District; a small area adjoins Jumla park in Nepal, containing the country's biggest lake (10.8 sq. kms.) atan elevation of 2990m.

Features :
Park elevations range from 2800m to 403gm. The park contains mainly coniferous forest. The area around the lake is dominated by blue pine, black juniper, West Himalayan spruce, oak, Himalayan cypress and other associated species, like India horse-chestnut, walnut and Himalayan popular are also found. A small portion of the park serves as an indeal habitat for musk deer. Other animals found in the park include Himalayan tahr, and wild boar. Snow trout is the only fish species recorded in the lake. Resident Gallinaceous birds and migrant waterfowl are of interest to park visitors. The great-crested grebe, black-necked grebe,and red-crested
pochard are seen during winter Other common birds are the snowcock, chukor partridge, Impeyan pheasant, kalij pheasant, and blood pheasant.

SAGARMATHA NATIONAL PARK

Established : 1976
Area : 1,148 square kilometers

Location :
Sagarmatha National Park is located in the north-east of Kathmandu, in the Khumbu regionof Nepal. The park includes the highest peak in the world, Mt. Sagarmatha (Everest), and several other well-known peaks such as Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho-Oyu, Pumori, AmaDablam, Thamserku, Kwangde, Kangtaiga and Gyachung Kank. The park was added to the list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.

Features :
The mountains of Sagarmatha National Park are geologically young and broken up by deep gorges and glacial valleys. Vegetation includes pine and hemlock forests at lower altitudes, for, juniper, birch and rhododendron woods, scrub and alpine plant communities at the higest altitudes. The famed bloom of rhododendrons occurs during spring (April and May) although other flora is most colourful during the moncoon season (June to August).

Wild animal most likely to be seen in the park are the Himalayan tahr, goral, serow and musk deer. The snow leoperd and Himalayan black bear are present but rarely sighted. Other mammals rerely seen are the weasel, marten, Himalayan mouse hare (pika), jackal and langur monkey.

The park is populated by approximately 3,000 of the famed Sherpa people whose lives are interwoven with the teachings of Buddhism.

The main settlements are Nache Bazar, Khumjung, Khunde, Thame, Thyangboche, Pangboche and Phortse. The economy of the Khumhu Sherpa community has traditionally been heavily based on trade and livestock herding. But with the coming of international mountaineering expeditions sine 1950 nad the influx of foreign trekkers, today the Sherpa economy is becoming increasingly dependent on tourism.

MAKALU-BARUN NATIONAL PARK AND CONSERVATION AREA

Established : 1992
Area : 2, 330 square kilometers (1500 square kilometers National Parks and 830 square kilometers
Conservation Area)

Location:
The park and conservation area are situated in teh Sanshuwasbha and Solukhumbu District, bordered by the Arun River on the east, Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest ) National Park on the west, the Nepal-Tibet border on the north and Saume Danda (ridge) to the south.

Features :
This is the only protected area in Nepal with a Strict Nature Reserve. The park has some of the richest and most unique pockets of plants and animals in Nepal, elsewhere it is lost to the spread of human habitation.

Stepping teh slopes are a series of vegetation zones starting with tropical sal forests below 1000m. elevation: subtropical Schima- Castanopsis forests at 1000-2000m., fir / birch / rhododendrons rorests in the sub-alpine (3000-4000); and herbs, grasses and rhododendron/juniper shrubs in teh alpine pastures (4000-5000). There are 47 Varieties of orchids, 67 species of economically valuable medicinal and aromatic plants, 25 of Nepal's 30 varieties of rhododendron, 19 specoes of bamboo, 15 oaks including Arkhoulo, 86 species of fodder trees and 48 species of primrose.

Over 400 species of birds have been sighted in the Makalu-Barun area. Two of the species had never been seen in Nepal. They are the spotted wren babble and the olive ground warbler. Wildlife includes the endangered red panda, musk beer, Himalayan black bear, clouded leopard and possible snow leopard in addition to more substsntial populations of ghoral, Himalayan tahr, wild boar, barking deer, Himalayan marmot and weasel, common langur monkey and the serow. The Arun River system contain 84 varieties of fish. Some 32, 000 people inhabit the conservation area.

PARSA WILDLIFE RESERVE

Area : 499 square kilometers
Established : 1984

Location :
Parsa Wildlife Reserve occupies parts of Chitwan, Makawanpur, Parsa and Bara Districts in central Nepal. The reserve headquarters is situated at Adabar on the Hetauda-Birgunj highway.

Features :
The dominant landscape of the reserve are the Churiya hills ranging from 750m to 95m and running has a sub-tropical monsoon climate. The forest is composed of tropical to subtropical forest types with sal constituting 90% of the vegetation. In the Churiya hills chir pine grows and along the streams and rivers. Sabai grass, a commercially important species, grows well along southern face of the Churiya hills.

The reserve support a good population of resident wild elephant, tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, blue bull, and wild dog. Other common animals are sambar, chital, hog deer, barking deer, langur, striped hyena, ratel, palm civet and jungle cat.

There are nearly 300 species of birds in the reserve. Giant hornbill, peafowl, red jungle fowl, flycatchers and woodpeckers are a few of the other common birds found in the reserve. Many kinks of snakes including king cobra, common cobra, krait, ret snake and python are found in the reserve due to a hot tropical climate.

KOSHI TAPPU WILDLIFE RESERVE

Established : 1976
Area : 175 square kilometers

Location :
Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve lies on the flood plains of the Sapta-Koshiin Saptari and Sunsari Districts of Eastern Nepal. The reserve is defined by the eastern and western embankments of the river.

Features :
Rapid and complete inundation of the reserve to depths ranging from 10 to 300 cm occurs during the monsoon. The Sapta-Koshi river also changes its course from one season to another.

The vegetation mainly includes tall khar-pater grassland with a few patches of khair-sissoo scrub forest and deciduous mixed riverine forest.

The reserve offers important habitat for a variety of wildlife. The last surviving population (about 100 individuals) of wild buffalo or arna are found here. Other mamals are the hog deer, wild boar, spotted deer, and blue bull.

The reserve also assiste the local economy by providing fishing permits and allowing the collection of edible fruits and ferns in season.

A total of 280 different species of birds have been recorded in the reserve. These include 20species of ducks, 2 species of ibises, many storks, egrets, herons and the endangered swamp partridges and Bengla floricans.

The Koshi Barrage is extremely is important as a resting place for migratory birds. Many species recorded here are not seen elsewhere in Nepal.

The endangered gharial crocodile and Gangetic dolphin have been recorded in the Koshi River.

ROYAL SHUKLAPHANTA WILDLIFE RESERVE

Established : 1975 and gazetted in 1976.
Area : 305 square kilometers

Location :
The Royal Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve is situated in the southern part of Far-Western Nepal in Kanchanpur Dirtrict.

Features :
Predominant sal associated with, asna, simal, karma, khair and sissoo are foung along the reverside. Main grass species of the phantas are imperate cylindrica and Saccharum heteropogon, used extensively by the local people for thatching.

The reserve provides prime habitat for swamp deer. An estimated population of 2,000 of this species is found in the reserve. Other wild animals in the reserve are wild elephant, tiger, hispid hare, blue bull, leopard, chital, hog deer, and wild boar.

A total of 200 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve. Many grassland birds along with the rare Bengal florican can be seen in the phantas. Marsh mugger, Indian python, monitor lizard and snakes like cobra, krait, and rat snake are recorded in the reserve.

DHORPATAN HUNTING RESERVE

Established : 1983 and gazetted in 1987
Area : 1325 square kilometers

Location :
Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve adjoins Rukum, Maygdi and Baglung Districts in the Dhaulagiri Himal extend over the northern boundary of the reserve.

Features :
This is the only hunting reserve in the country, attracting Nepalese and foreign hunters with blue sheep abd other game animals. The reserve is divided into six blocks for hunting management purposes.

The reserve is characterized by alpine, sub-alpine, and high temperate vegetation. Common plant species include fir, pine, birch, rhododendron, hemlock, oak, juniper and spruce. Pastureland at higher elevations occupies more than 50% of the total area of the reserve.

The reserve is one of the prime habitats for blue sheep, a highly coveted trophy. Other animals found there are: leopard, goral, serow, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan black bear, barking deer, wild boar, rhesus macaque, langurand mouse hare.

Pheasants and partridges are common and their viable population in the reserve permits controlled hunting. Endangered animals in the reserve include musk deer, wolf red panda, cheer pheasant and danphe.