National Parks and Wild Life Reserves

1.Royal Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve(305 sq km) was until recently a royal hunting domain. It is dominated by sal trees associated with asna, semal, karma, khair and sissoo sub-species, and phanta grasslands. A prime habitat for the swamp deer, wild elephant, tiger, hispid hare, blue bull, leopard, chital, hog deer, and wild boar, along with 200 species of bird. Reptiles include the marsha mugger, Indian python, monitor lizard, cobra, krait and rat snake.

2.Royal National Chitwan Park(932 sq km) is the most popular safari destination. It covers a unique ecosystem in the world, containing the Churia hills, oxbow lakes and flood plains. The park has 50 species of grasses. The 43 species of animals include the endangered one-horned rhino, Royal Bengal tiger, gharial crocodile, gaur, wild elephant, four horned antelope, striped hyena, pangoline, Gangetic dolphin, monitor lizard and pythons.






3.Langtan National park(1,710 sq km) abound in the numerous vegetation types. Oaks, maple, various rhododendrons, chir pine, fir, blue pine, hemlock and spruce are found here. Diverse animals such as the wild dogs, Himalayan red panda, pika, muntjack, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan tahr, ghoral, serow, rhesus monkey, and common langur.




4.Rara National Park(106 sq km) has its gem in Rara, Nepal’s biggest lake(10.8 sq km) at 2,990 m! The park ascends from 1,800 to 4,048 m, and abounds in coniferous forests of blue pine, black juniper, west Himalayan spruce, oak, and Himalayan cypress as well as Indian horse-chestnut, walnut, and Himalayan poplar. It is an ideal habitat for musk deer, Himalayan black bear, leopard, ghoral, Himalayan tahr, and wild boar. Snow trout is the only fish found in Rara Lake.





5.Sagarmatha(Everest) National Park(1,148 sq km), which includes the tallest mountain in the world, is listed as World Heritage Site. Geographically young and broken into deep gorges and glacial valleys, the park has vegetation graduating from pine, hemlock, fir, juniper, birch, rhododendrons, scrubs, alpine plants and then to bare rock and snow.




6.Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve(175 sq km). The vegetation here is mainly of grassland, scrub and deciduous forests. The reserve is unique for its wild arna buffaloes. Other mammals are hog deer, wild boar, spotted deer, and blue bull. The species of birds total 280 here, including 20 of ducks, two of ibises, many storks, egrets, herons, and endangered swamp partridges and Bengal floricians. Gharial crocodiles and Gangetic dolphine are found in Koshi River.


7.Royal Bardia National Park(968 sq km) is the largest and most undisturbed wilderness area in the Terai. It is thickly forested by sal trees and is carpeted with grass, savannah and riverine forest. It is a habitat for species like rhinoceros, wild elephant, tiger, swamp deer, black buck, gharial crocodiles and Gangetic dolphine.



8.Shey-Phoksundo National park(3,555 sq km) is the biggest park in Nepal. It is a primal habitat for the snow leopard and the blue sheep; so also for ghoral, Himalayan tahr, serow, leopard, wolf, Himalayan mouse hare, yellow throated marten, langur and rhesus monkeys.





9.Khaptad National Park(255 sq km) represents the flora and fauna of Nepal’s mid-western hills. Dense nigalo bamboo groves and wide varieties of medicinal herbs are also found here. The fauna includes the leopard, Himalayan yellow throated marten, Himalayan black bear, musk deer, ghoral and Himalayan tahr. Danphe, kalij and monal pheasants, chukor partridge, red and yellow billed blue magpie and Himalayan griffin are some of the birds of the area.



10.Parsa Wildlife Reserve(499 sq km) was established as an extension of Royal Chitwan National Park but having its own natural heritage. It encompasses the east-west Churia hills of chir pine, khair, sissoo and silk cotton and drops down to the subtropical monsoon belt of sal forests and sabai grasslands. The reserve supports wild elephant, tiger, leopard, sloth bear, gaur, blue bull, wild dog, sambar, chital, hog deer, barking deer, langur, striped hyena, palm civer and jungle cat.









11.Annapurna Conservation Area Project(7,000 sq km)encompasses both the Annapurna Massif region and the recently opened Mustang. This project area includes middle hills, sub-alpine, alpine and trans-Himalayan dry plateau ecosystems. The project stands for successful participatory natural resource management, combining village development, education, and conservation with the conservation education of trekkers.



12.Makalu-Barun National Park and Conservation Area(2,330 sq km:1,500 sq km National Park, and 830 sq km Conservation Area)extends from sub-tropical forests to high alpine vegetation. The region has 67 species of aromatic and medicinal plants, 25 of Nepal’s 30 varieties of rhododendron, 15 types of oak, and 48 species of primrose. Over 400 species of birds thrive here, including the newly-discovered(in Nepal)spotted wren babbler and the olive ground babbler. Wildlife includes the endangered red panda, musk deer, Himalayan black bear, clouded leopard and the snow leopard too.



13.Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve(1,325 sq km) attracts sports hunters for the highly-covered blue sheep and other game animals such as the leopard, ghoral, serow, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan black bear, barking deer, wild boar and so on. It is forested with fir, pine, birch, rhododendron, hemlock, oak, juniper, and spruce. Endangered animals include the musk deer, wolf, red panda, cheer and danphe pheasant.



14.Shivapuri Watershed and Wildlife Reserve(144 sq km) is situated on the hill of Shivapuri to the north of Kathmandu Valley. This is an easily accessible destination for viewing orchids, rhododendrons, pines, utisa trees as well as medicinal and herbal plants. Shivapuri is home to the sloth bear, langur monkey, leopard, barking deer and many species of birds.