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National
Parks in Nepal
LANGTANG
NATIONAL PARK
Area: 1710
sq. km.; Established: Designated in 1970-71 and gazetted in
1976.
LOCATION:
Situated in the Central Himalayas, Langtang is the nearest
park to 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 climatic conditions in the Central Himalayas 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 (below 1000m), temperate oak and
pine forests 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, muntjack, musk
deer, Himalayan black bear, Himalaya tahr, ghoral, serow,
rhesus monkey and common langur. The Trisuli - Bhote Rivers
forms an important route for birds on spring and autumn migration
between India and Tibet. About 45 villages (846 households
= 4,500 people) are situated within the park boundaries, but
they are not under park jurisdiction. In total, about 3000
households (about 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. The majority of people are
Tamang, an ancient Nepalese race. The Tamangs, traditionally
farmers and cattle breeders, are especially well known for
their weaving. Their religion is related to the Bon and the
pre-Buddhist doctrines of Tibet. Today this religion has merged
with the newer teachings of from Tibet. The Helambu area,
immediately north of Kathmandu, has many scenic villages inhabited
by Sherpas and Tamangs who emigrated from Tibet.
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SHEY-PHOKSUNDO
NATIONAL PARK
Area: 3555
sq. km; Established: 1984
LOCATION:
Shey-Phoksundo National Park is situated in the mountain region
of Western Nepal, covering parts of Dolpa and Mugu District.
It is the largest national park in the country.
FEATURES:
The park contains luxuriant forests mainly comprised of blue
pine, spruce, cypress, poplar, deodar, fir and birch. The
Jugdula River valley consists mostly of Qurercus species.
The trans-Himalayan area has 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 hare, yellow-throated marten, langur and rhesus
monkeys. The park is equally rich in many varieties of birds,
such as Impeyan pheasant (danphe), blood pheasant, cheer pheasant,
red and yellow billed cough, raven, jungle crow, snow partridge
and many others.
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KHAPTAD NATIONAL PARK
Area: 255
sq. km; Established: 1984
LOCATION:
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 the Bijhang,
Bajura, Doti and Accam Districts of Seti Zone.
FEATURES:
The park covers the unique mid-mountain ecosystem of Western
Nepal, and is situated at about 300 m. elevation. The upland
is a rolling plateau of grasslands intermixed with oak 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 tahr and others.
The common bird species include Impeyan pheasant, chkor partridge,
kalij pheasant, monal, red and yellow-billed blue magpie,
and Himalayan griffin. A wide variety of colorful butterflies,
moths and insects are 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.
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ROYAL BARDIYA NATIONAL PARK
Area: 968
sq. km.; Established: First gazetted in 1976 and further extended
in 1984.
LOCATION:
Royal Bardiya 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 the balance a mixture of grassland, savanna
and riverine forest. The approximately 1500 people who lived
in 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 crocodile and Gangetic dolphin.
Endangered birds include the Bengal florican, lesser florican,
silver-eared mesia and Sarus crane. More than 30 different
mammals, over 200 species of birds, and many snakes, lizards
and fish 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.
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RARA NATIONAL PARK
Area: 106
sq. km; Established: 1976
LOCATION:
Rara National Park is located in North-West Nepal about 371
km. air distance from Kathmandu. Most of the park, including
Lake Para, lies in the Mugu District; a small area in the
Jumla District of the Karnali Zone. This is the smallest park
in Nepal, containing the country's biggest lake (10.8 sq.
km.) at an elevation of 2990 m.
FEATURES:
Park elevations range from 1800 m. to 4048 m. 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. At about 3350 m. pine
and spruce give way to fir, oak and birch. Deciduous tree
species like Indian hours-chestnut, walnut and Himalayan popula
are also found. A small portion of the park serves as an ideal
habitat for musk deer. Other animals found in the park include
Himalayan black bear, leopard, goral, 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 snow cock, chukor partridge,
Impeyuan pheasant, kalij pheasant, and blood pheasant.
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MAKALU-BARUN NATIONAL PARK AND CONSERVATION AREA
Area: 2330 sq. km. (1500 sq. km. National Park and 830 sq.
km. Conservation Area); Established: 1992
LOCATION:
The park and conservation area are situated in the Sankhuwasabha
and Solukhumbu Districts, bordered by the Arun River on the
west, the Nepal-Tibet border on the north and the Saune 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. Stepping up the slopes
are a series of vegetation zones starting with tropical Schima-Castanopsis
forest (1000-2000m), fir/birch/rhododendron forests in the
sub-alpine (3000-4000 m); and herbs, grasses and rhododendron/juniper
shrubs in the alpine pastures (4000-5000 m). There are 47
varieties of orchids, 67 species of economically valuable
medicinal and aromatic plants, 25 varieties of rhododendron,
19 species 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, including
two species of warbler never before seen. Wildlife includes
the endangered red panda, musk deer, Himalayan black bear,
clouded leopard and possibly 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. Over 32,000 people inhabit the conservation area.
BACKGROUND:
High
in the heart of the eastern Himalayas, seven valleys radiate
from Mt. Makalu, the world's fifth highest peak. These valleys,
particularly the Barun valley, treasure some of the last remaining
pristine forests and alpine meadows of Nepal. From the bottom
of the Arun valley, at just 435 m. above sea level, the Himalayas
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. Nestled in
the lower reaches of these valleys are communities of Rai,
Sherpa, and other farming communities. Though economically
poor and isolated, they retain a rich cultural heritage. They
hold the key to the preservation of the unique biological
and cultural treasures of the Makalu-Barun area. The Makalu-Barun
National Park and Conservation Area was established in 1992
as Nepal's eighth national park and the first to include an
adjacent inhabited conservation area as a buffer. A new park
management approach encourages local people to become actively
involved in protecting the forests and natural resources upon
which their lives depend, and in conserving their own rich
cultural heritage. Traditional resource management systems,
such as community controlled grazing and forest guardianship,
are being strengthened and low level technologies introduced
where appropriate. Working in collaboration with an American
NGO, Woodlands Mountain Institute, His Majesty's Government,
Nepal is striving to improve local living standards through
infrastructure, educational and income-generating activities.
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 Qomolangma Nature Preserve in the Tibet Autonomous
Region of China to the north.
Most of the
Makalu-Barun National Park is a remote wilderness, with just
two small settlements and seasonal herding in the high pastures.
Historically, few foreigners have visited the area except
for the occasional climbing expedition.
The incredibly
steep topography and abundant monsoon rains (1000 to 4000
mm per year) of the eastern Himalayas support unusually diverse
bioclimatic zones and a rich storehouse of medicinal and useful
plants. Alpine pastures above 4000 m contain the religiously
important dwarf rhododendron and juniper, aromatic herbs and
delicate wildflowers. Sub-alpine forests of fir, birch, and
rhododendron, and temperate stands of oak, maple and magnolia
thrive between 2-4000 m. Luxuriant orchids drape the chestnut
and pine forests of the sub-tropical zone (1-2000 m), and
forests reach their northernmost limit within Nepal along
the banks of the Arun (below 1000 m).
STRICT NATURE
RESERVE
The inaccessible
lower Barun Valley, glacier-fed tributary to the Arun river,
and its tributary the Saldima, flow through the most pristine
area in the Park and thus have been designated as a Strict
Nature Reserve, the first in Nepal. Here, natural ecosystems
and processes will be protected in an undisturbed state for
scientific study, environmental monitoring, education, and
the maintenance of genetic resources.
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PARSA WILDLIFE RESERVE
Area: 499
sq. km. 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 750 m. to 950 m. and running east-west through
the reserve. The reserve has sub-tropical forest types with
sal constituting 90% of the vegetation. In the Churiya hills
and along the streams, chir pine grows. Khair, sissoo and
the silk cotton tree also occur. Sabai grass, a commercially
important species, grows well along southern face of the Churiya
hills. The reserve supports 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 kinds of snakes including king cobra,
common cobra, krait, rat snake and python are found in the
reserve due to hot tropical climate.
KOSHI TAPPU WILDLIFE RESERVE
Area: 175
sq. km.; Established: 1976
LOCATION:Koshi
Tappu Wildlife Reserve lies on the flood plains of the Sapta-Koshi
in Saptari and Sunsari Districts of Eastern Nepal. The reserve
is defined by the eastern and western embankments of the
river.
FEATURES:Rapid
and complete flood 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 is mainly tall khar-pater grassland with
a few patched of khair-sissoo scrub forest and deciduous
mixed riverine forest. The reserve offers an important habitat
for a variety of wildlife. The last surviving population
(about 100 individuals) of wild buffalo or arna are found
here. Other mammals are the hog deer, wild boar, spotted
deer, and blue bull. The reserve also assists 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 2 species of ducks, 2 species of ibises, many storks,
egrets, herons and the endangered swamp partridges and Bengal
floricans. The Koshi barrage is extremely 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.
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ROYAL SHUKLAPHANTA WILDLIFE RESERVE
Area: 155
sq. km; 305 sq. km after completion of the extension. Established:
Established in 1969 and gazetted in 1976.
LOCATION:The
Royal Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve is situated in the southern
part of Far-Western Nepal in the Kanchanpur District.
FEATURES:Predominant
sal associated with arna, semal, karma, khair and sissoo
are found along the riverside. The main grass species are
the Imperate Cylindrica and the Saccharum Heteropogon, used
extensively by the local people for thatching. The reserve
provides a prime habitat for swamp deer. An estimated population
of 2000 to 2500 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. Marsh mugger, Indian python,
monitor lizard and snakes like cobra, krait, and rat snake
are recorded in the reserve.
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DHORPATAN HUNTING RESERVE
Area: 1325
sq.. km.; Established: Established in 1983 and gazetted
in 1987.
LOCATION:Dhorpatan
Hunting Reserve lies in the Rukum, Myagdi and Baglung Districts
in the Dhaulagiri Himal range in western Nepal. Putha, Churen
and Gurja Himal extend over the northern boundary of the
reserve.
FEATURES:This
is the only hunting reserve in the country, attracting Nepalese
and foreign sports hunters with blue sheep and other game
animals. The reserve is divided into six blocs 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. Pasture land 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 are leopard,
goral, serow, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan black bear, barking
deer, wild boar, rhesus macaque, langur and 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.
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The
information collected from various sourses and can be found
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