| |
| There are several
national parks in Nepal. These parks teem with wildlife and
offer a chance to experience the endemic animals and vegetation
of the regions. Among the 14 national parks and wildlife reserves
in Nepal, the Royal Chitwan National Park (932 sq kilometers)
is the most popular safari destination among visitors. |
| |
| ROYAL CHITWAN NATIONAL PARK |
Royal Chitwan National
Park is listed as a World Heritage Site and is the most popular
safari destination in Nepal. It covers about 932 Sq. kilometers,
as a successful research center of wildlife and nature conservation.
The Park is situated in the tropical and sub-tropical lowland
of the mid-southern part of Nepal. The Park has a large area
of low, heavy-forested hills bordering with India on the south,
which is also known as a haven of wildlife. The Park has been
covered by different vegetation. The shorea rebusta that is
known as a Sal tree in Nepali covers around 70%, grassland 20%
and others 10% . Commonly seen animals in the park are the Royal
Bengal tiger, one horned rhinoceros, wild boar, gaur, neelgai,
wild elephant, striped hyena, pangolin, chital, wild dog, langur
etc.
The Park also contains more then 450 species of birds. Some
birds are listed as rare birds. The rare birds found in the
Park are the bangle, horizon, giant hornbill, and lesser floricon,
black and white stock. The other birds like peacock, fowl kingfisher,
woodpecker, flycatcher and toucan are also found in the Park.
The main activities in the jungle are:
Elephant ride (safari), Bird watching tour, Canoe rides, Nature
walk/ Jungle walk, Jungle drive, Tharu stick dances, Wild life
slide show. |
| |
| THE ROYAL BARDIYA NATIONAL
PARK |
It is situated in
the lowland area of western Nepal, covering about 968 sq. kilometers
of land with flora and fauna. This Park is also known as the
wildest and most undisturbed wilderness area in the Terai region.
In 1969 this park was specially set aside as a royal hunting
reserve and later it was renamed as Karnali Wildlife Reserve.
In 1982 it was renamed as the Royal Bardiya National Park.
The Royal Bardiya National Park contains about 70% of shorea
robusta, which is known as Sal locally. The remaining 30% is
covered with grassland and normal trees.
The most commonly seen animals in the Park are the tiger, wild
elephant, rhinoceros, gangetic dolphin, wild boar, hog deer,
neelgai, porcupine, sloth bear, wild dog, mongoose, wildcat,
rhesus monkey, barking deer, samber deer, bandicoot, jackal,
hyena, common leopard, fishing cat, langur monkey, blackbuck,
the marghmugger and the ghorial crocodile. Commonly seen
birds in the park are woodpeckers, dragons, herons, bulbuls,
doves, egrets, parakeets, kingfishers, barbets, bee eaters,
pigeons, storks, shellducks, sunbirds, babblers, flycatchers,
redwattled lapwings and comb ducks. Some endangered birds
like bangle florican, lesser florican, and different types
of reptiles, amphibians, insects and butterflies are also
found in the Park. |
| |
| SAGARMATHA NATIONAL PARK
|
| Sagarmatha (Everest)
National Park, which includes the tallest mountain in the world,
is listed as a World Heritage Site. Vegetation here includes
pine and hemlock forests, fir, juniper, birch and rhododendron
wooes, scrub and alpine plant communities, and bare rock and
snow. Wild animals that roam in this park are the Himalayan
tahr, ghoral, serow and musk deer. The snow leopard and Himalayan
black bear are present but rarely sighted. This also home to
the weasel, marten, Himalayan mouse hare (pika), jackal, and
langur monkey. |
| |
| PARSA WILDLIFE RESERVE |
| Parsa Wildlife Reserve
is located in the central part of Nepal. The Reserve covers
about 499 sq. kilometers. Because of the tropical and sub-tropical
climate the Reserve consists of 90% of shorea robusta, and the
remaining 10% contains vegetation like the pine, khair, sisoo,
silk cotton, grasses and others. Parsa Wildlife Reserve is
popular for wild elephants, tigers, leopards, blue bulls,
sloth bears, samble deer, hog deer, langur. Wild cats are
commonly seen in the Reserve. The Reserve also contains different
species of bird and snake like:- the king cobra, common cobra,
krait, rattle snake, and pythons etc. |
| |
| KOSHI TAPPU WILDLIFE RESERVE |
| This Wild Life Reserve
is situated in the eastern part of Nepal covering an area of
100 sq. kilometers. This wildlife reserve covers the flood plains
of seven rivers, also known as Saptakoshi. The best season to
visit this reserve is between October and April. Koshi Tappu
Wild Life Reserve is popular for wild buffalos and other animals
like spotted deer, wild boar, and hog deer. More then 280
species of bird have been recorded, while more than 18 species
of duck, varieties of stocks and egrets are found here. |
| |
| LANTANG NATIONAL PARK |
Situated in the Central
Himalaya, Langtang National Park is the nearest park to Kathmandu.
The area extends from 32 km north of Kathmandu to the Nepal-Chine(Tibet)
border. Langtang was designated as the first Himalayan National
Park in 1970-71, and was gazetted in March 1976. It 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 example of graded climatic conditions in the
Central Himalaya are fond here. The complex topography and geology
together with the varied climatic patterns have enabled a wide,
spectrum of vegetation types. These include small areas of subtropical
forest (below 1000 m.) Oaks, chirpine, maple, fir, blue pine,
hemlock spruce and various species of rhododendron make up the
main forest species. Above these alpine scrub and grass give
way to rocks and snow.
The Langtang Valley, which is reached from the road end at Dhunche
or Sybrubensi, offers an opportunity to explore villages and
gompas (monasteries) as well as glaciers, with magnificent views
of the mountains.
Gosainkunda, an area of high altitude lakes, is reached either
from Dhunche or from Sundarijal in the eastern part of Kathmandu
Valley. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims visit these lakes during
Janai Purnima festivals in the month of August. Gosainkunda
lake is believed to have been created by Lord Shiva. |
| |
| KHAPTAD NATIONAL PARK |
| Khaptad National Park
is located in the mid-mountain region of Far-Western Nepal at
an air distance of 446 km. from Kathmandu. The core area is
situated at the cross point of Bajhang, Bajura, Doti and Achham
Districts of Seti Zone. The Park HQ. at Khaptad is about 50
km. and 32 km. walking distance respectively from Silgadhi town
(Doti) and Chainpur town (Bajhang).
The park covers
a unique ecosystem of the mid-mountain region of Western Nepal
and is situated at around 3000 m. elevation. The upland is
a rolling plateau with grasslands intermixed with oak and
coniferous forests.
The most common fauna in the park are leopard (Panthera pards).
Himalayan yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula), Himalayan
black bear (Sus scrofa), jackal (Canis aureus), musk deer
(Mochus moschiferus), goral (nemorhaedus goral), Himalayan
tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), wolf (Canis lupus), and common
languor (Presbytis entellus).
The common bird species include the Impeyan pheasant (danphe),
Nepal's national bird (Lophophorus impejanus), chukor partridge
(Alectoris graeca), Kalij pheasant (Lophuralleucomelana),
Monal (Tragopan satyara), red and yellow-billed blue magpie
(Cissa erythrorhyncapa & c. flavirostris), nutcracker
(Nucifraga caryooatactes), flycatchers (Muscicapa & Muscicapella
spp.), thrushes (Garrulax spp. & Zoothera spp.), Himalayan
griffin ( Gyps himalayansis), cuckoos (Cuculus spp.), forktails
(Enicurus spp.), tits (Parus spp.), forktails (Enicurus spp.),
wagtails (motacilla spp.), and eagles (Aquila spp.), A wide
variety of colorful butterflies, moths, and insects are also
important features of the Khaptad ecosystem.
|
| |
| RARA NATIONAL PARK |
Rara National Park is
located in north-west Nepal about 371 km air distance from Kathmandu.
The park headquarters is about 32 km. north to Jumla. Most of
the park including Lake Rara lies in Mugu District, with a small
area in Jumla District of Karnali Zone. This is the smallest
park in Nepal (106 sq. km.) with the country's biggest lake
(10.8 sq. km.) at an elevation of 2990 m. The lake is oval-shaped
with an east-west axis, and has a maximum length of 5 km and
a width of 3 km. The maximum depth of the lake is 167 m. The
park was gazetted in 1967 to conserve the unique beauty of Lake
Rara and to protect a representative sample of flora and fauna
of the Humla-Jumla region.
A small portion of the park serves as an ideal habitat for musk
deer. Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus) leopard
(Panthera pardus), musk deer (Moschus moschiferous), goral (Nemorhaedus
goral), jackal (Canis aureus), Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus),
yellow throated marten (Martes flavigula), wild dog (Cuon alpinus),
wild boar (Sus scrofa), common languor (Presbytes entillus),
rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), and common otter (Lutra lutra),
are other species found in the park. Snow in the lake. The resident
Gallinaceous birds and migrant waterfowls are of interest to
park visitors. Coots (Fulica atra) are plentiful in the lake,
many staying year-round. Great-crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus),
black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis), red-crested pochard
(Netta rufina), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), common teal (Anas
crecca), merganser (Mergus merganser), and gulls are seen during
winter. Other common birds in the park are snow cock (Tetraogallus
himalayenis), chukor partridge (Alectoris chukor), Impeyan pheasant
(Lophophorus impejanus), kalij pheasant (Lophura leuco,elana),
and blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus).
Lake Rara is the most beautiful and interesting site in the
park. Bird lovers enjoy winter with the migratory birds. Hundreds
of varieties of ground flowers form a colorful carpet in summer.
Conventional currents do not allow the lake to freeze in winter.
Chuchemara Peak (4048 ma) on the southern side of lake presents
a magnificent scene with the gleaming blue water within a basin
of well forested hills. Other summits are Ruma Kand (3731 m.)
and Malika Kand (3444 m.) to the north of the lake. From these
peaks one can enjoy the view of the lack, peaks to the south
and beautiful Mugu Karnali River valley to the north. |
| |
| SHEY-PHOKSUNDO NATIONAL
PARK |
| Shey-Phoksundo National
Park is situated in he mountain region of Western Nepal, covering
parts of Dolpa and Mugu Districts. Gazetted in 1984, it is the
largest national park in the country with an area of 3555 sq.
km. The main objectives of the park are to preserve the unique
trans.- Himalayan ecosystem with its typical Tibetan type of
flora and fauna, and to protect endangered species such as the
snow leopard and musk deer.
Much of the park lies north of
the Great Himalayan Range. Kanjiroba Himal lies at the southern
edge of the trans.-Himalayan region of the Tibetan plateau.
The high Dolpa plateau in the north-east of the park is drained
by the Langu (Namlang) River. The southern catchment of the
park is drained by the Jugdula and Suligad Rivers, which flow
south and drain into the Bheri River. Nepal's second largest
lake, Phoksundo, lies at 3660 m. in the upper reaches of Suligad.
The park provides prime habitat for snow leopard and blue
sheep. The blue sheep are mainly concentrated around Shey
Gomba and Dolphu. Other common animals found in the park are;
goral, Himalayan tahr, serow, leopard, wolf, jackal, Himalayan
black bear, Himalayan weasel, Himalayan mouse hare, yellow-throated
marten, and languor and rhesus monkeys.
The park is equally rich in birds. The commonly seen birds
are Impeyan pheasant (danphe). blood pheasant, cheer pheasant,
red and yellow-billed choughs, raven jungle crow, show partridge
and many others.
Phoksundo Lake also known as Ringmo Lake, is the most interesting
site of the park. The lake is drained by a waterfall from
a height of nearly 150 m. making it the highest waterfall
in the country.
|
| |
| MAKALU-BARUN NATIONAL PARK |
High in the heart of
the eastern Himalayan, seven valleys radiate form Mt. Makalu,
the world's fifth highest peak. These valleys, particularly
the Barun valley, treasure some of the last remaining pristine
forest and alpine meadows of Nepal. From the bottom of the Arun
valley, at just 435 m above sea level, the Himalayan rise to
the snow-capped tip of Makalu- 8463 m. within a 40 km distance.
Within this wide range of altitudes and climates, the Makalu-Barun
area contains some of the richest and most diverse pockets of
plants and animals in Nepal, elsewhere lost to spreading human
habitation.
Covering 2,330 sq. km. Makalu-Barun is a vital component
of the greater Mount Everest ecosystem which includes Nepal's
1,148 sq. km Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park to the
west and the 35,000 sq. km Comolangma Nature Preserve in the
Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north.
The Makalu-Barun area is little known to most tourists due to
its relative inaccessibility. But those few hundred trekkers
and mountaineers who visit each year come away with an unforgettable
experience. For the naturalist, there are spectacular displays
of wildflowers and exotic plants. More than 3,00 species of
flowering plants, with hundreds of orchid varieties, 48 primroses,
and 25 of Nepal's 30 rhododendrons splash the hillsides with
color. The forests shelter abundant wildlife, including the
endangered red panda and musk deer as well as the ghoral,
Himalayan tarh and leopard. Ornithologists have identified
400 bird species, at least 16 of which are extremely rare.
|
| |
| ANNAPURNA CONSERVATION AREA |
| A unique blend of good
ecology with good economies and conservation with development,
the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), established
in 1966, covers an area of over 7,000 sq. km. with a wealth
of biological diversity.
As the catchments of one of he major river systems in the
Himalayas the Annapurna basin is not only of aesthetic value
to foreign visitors but also vital to the conservation of
soil, water and resources of Nepal.
|
| |
| DHORPATAN HUNTING RESERVE |
| Dhorpatan Hunting
Reserve lies in Rukum, Myagdi and Baglung Districts in the Dhaulagiri
Himal range in West Nepal. Putha, Churen and Gurja Himal extend
over the northern boundary of the reserve. Dhorpatan Hunting
Reserve was established in 1983 and was gazetted in 1987. Management
objectives of the reserve allow sports hunting and preserve
a representative high altitude ecosystem in West Nepal.
Dhorbaraha, a Hindu religious place on the banks or Uttarganga
River near Dhorpatan, is in Fagune bloc. E very year on the
day of "Janai Purnima" in August, a religious fair
is held here which is attended by many local devotees. The magnificent
view of Dhaulagiri Himal from Barse. Dogari and Gustung blocs
are exceptional. Snag and Sundaha bloc are rich in wild animals. |
| |
| KANCHANJUNGA CONSERVATION AREA |
Just below the looming
Mountain Kanchanjunga (8586 m), lies the Kanchanjunga Conservation
Area. Spread in an area of 2035 sq. km, the area is made up
of alpine grass lands, rocky outcrops, dense temperate and sub-tropical
forests, and low river valleys with the Kanchanjunga as its
crown.
The Kanchanjunga Conservation Area can be synonymized as a repository
of flora and fauna. During the spring season, the area has an
excellent display of flowering rhododendrons, orchids, lilies,
primula and many other flowers. The lowlands are full of tropical
hardwoods. These get replaced by oaks and pine as the elevation
increases. Further higher is the vegetation including larch,
fir and juniper up to the tree line. The conservation area is
where you will see 15 of Nepal's 28 endemic flowering plants.
Almost all the 30 kinds of rhododendron species are found here.
This is also the area where you get to see 69 of the 250 orchids
found in Nepal.
Monasteries, chhortens, temples, prayer-walls are the icons
of the conservation area's cultural heritage. |
| |
| ROYAL SHUKLA PHANTA WILDLIFE
RESERVE |
| The Royal Suklaphanta
Wildlife Reserve is situated in the southern part of Far-West
Nepal in Kanchanpur District. The reserve lies between 80o 25'
east longitude and 28o 35' north laltude. The reserve had
been a famous hunting area for many years, and was declared
a Royal Hunting Reserve in 1969. The reserve was gazetted
in 1973 as Royal Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. It covers an
area of 155 sq. km. 305 sq. m. after completion of an extension.
The riverine flood plain of the reserve comprises hill wash
and alluvial deposits. Sal (Shorea robusta) is the dominant
tree species. Extensive grasslands (locally called phanta)
provide an ideal habitat for swamp deer (Cervus duvauceli).
The species is endangered and is found in herds of thousands
in the reserve.
The extensive open grasslands of Suklaphanta are worth visiting
for a breathtaking view of the largest herd of swamp deer in
the world and other grassland birds including Bengal florican.
Wetlands such as Ranital, Sikarital and others in the extension
area like Kalikitch Lake, Lalpanital and Taratal, support
a healthy population of many kinds of waterfowl, reptiles
and other wildlife.
Ranital, 18 km. from the reserve HQ., is a beautiful lake
for viewing waterfowl, with machans (viewing towers).
|
| |
| MUSTANG CONSERVATION AREA |
| In March 1992, the 'forbidden'
kingdom of Mustang was opened to the outside world. Now, for
the first time in recent history, foreign travelers are able
to visit La Manthang, the seat of an ancient kingdom dating
back to the 15th century. The Kingdom of La is situated along
the north central border of Nepal north of the main range of
the Himalayan in the upper reaches of Mustang District . Lo
and the area directly to its south, called Baragaon, which both
fall within Upper Mustang, can be claimed as one of the most
outstanding areas of the Himalaya. |
| |
|
