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National
Parks & Wildlife Reserves:
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What’s unique about Nepal is that a
30-minute flight north can take you to the
highest mountains in the world, while a
30-minute flight south can take you to the
hot sweltering plains where large tracts of
land are covered in sub-tropical jungles.
Much of these jungles are preserved as
national parks and are home to a large
variety of diverse wildlife including
endangered species.
A wonderful way to see wildlife is to go on
an elephant safari. Other activities include
guided nature walks, silent canoe trips and
jeep safaris which take you to the heart of
the jungle in search of the one-horned
rhinoceros, Royal Bengal tigers, leopards,
many species of deer, crocodiles, etc. and
an exotic mix of birds
While some of Nepal’s wildlife parks and
reserves lie in the Himalayan region, the
others are spread along the tarai (plains).
In the tarai, the ideal time to visit is
from October to February when the
temperature averages 25 degrees Celsius.
Although March to June can be hot, wildlife
sightings are known to be excellent. Popular
wildlife parks and reserves in the terai
area. |
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Royal Chitwan National Park |
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Chitwan National Park is the
most popular destination for
tourists wanting to have a
good experience of the
region's wildlife. It was
declared a National Park in
1973. In 1984, UNESCO
designated Royal Chitwan
National Park a Natural
World Heritage Site. The
Park offers protection to 56
species of mammals including
the one-horned rhinoceros,
Bengal tiger, leopard, sloth
bear, wild elephant, striped
hyena, Genetic dolphin and
wild bison. There are
estimated to be 470 species
of mammals, over 500 species
of birds, 126 species of
fish, 150 species of
butterflies and 47 species
of reptiles in the park! A
recent study also points out
that over a third of Nepal's
tigers are in Chitwan.
Spread over 967 square Km of
dense sub-tropical forest,
the Royal Chitwan National
Park is reputed to be the
best managed wildlife-park
in Asia. About 165 Km of
scenic drive from Kathmandu,
this park is a home of over
46 species of mammals and
450 species of birds.
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Bardia Wildlife Park |
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Bardia National Park is
situated in remote Western
Nepal. Approximately 1000
sq. Km in area, the park has
a rich and varied wildlife
such as the wild elephants,
the One Horned rhinoceros,
leopards, blue bull, sambar
and swamp deer, chital
(spotted deer), wild boar,
and the most magnificent of
cats, the Royal Bengal
Tiger. Bardia is remote and
still relatively unexplored,
but over 300 species of
birds have been recorded
here. The park is surrounded
by villages of the colorful
Tharu tribes. Tiger Tops
Karnali offers a unique
wildlife cultural and
adventure experience. |
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Koshitapu Wildlife Reserve |
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Koshitapu Wildlife Reserve
is situated on the
embankment of the Sapta
system covering an area of
175 square kilometers. The
vegetation here is mainly of
grassland, scrub and
deciduous forests. The
reserve is a bird watchers
paradise with 280 species of
birds found here. This
region is the resting-place
for migrating birds not seen
anywhere in Nepal. It is
also unique for its 100 or
so surviving wild water
buffaloes. Other mammals
found here are hog deer,
wild bore, spotted deer, and
the nilgai. Koshi River
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