nepal natural treasures of nepal

7/30/2019 Nepal Natural Treasures of Nepal

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t r e a s u r e s o N e p a l


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Gnral Introduction 3

Moths and Buttris 5

Wildli 6

Zoo and Musums 9Flowrs and Vgtation 10

Protctd Aras o Npal 13

Attractions and Activitis 14

National Parks 18

Bardia National Park (968 km2) and Bur Zon (328 km2) 19

Chitwan National Park (932 km2) and Bur Zon (750 km2) 22

Khaptad National Park (225 km2) and Bur Zon (216 km2) 25

Langtang National Park (1,710 km2) and Bur Zon (420 km2) 27

Makalu Barun National Park (1,500 km2) and Bur Zon (830 km2) 31

Rara National Park (106 km2) and Bur Zon (198 km2) 33Sagarmatha National Park (1,148 km2) and Bur Zon (275 km2) 35

Shy-Phoksundo National Park (3,555 km2) and Bur Zon (1,349 km2) 38

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park (159 km2) 40

Wildli Rsrvs 42

Koshitappu Wildli Rsrv (175 km2) and Bur Zon (173 km2) 43

Parsa Wildli Rsrv (499 km2) and Bur Zon (298.2 km2) 46

Shuklaphanta Wildli Rsrv (305 km2) and Bur Zon (243.5 km2) 48

Hunting Rsrv 50

Dhorpatan Hunting Rsrv (1,325 km2) 50

Consrvation Aras 52Annapurna Consrvation Ara (7,629 km2) 53

Kangchnjunga Consrvation Ara (2,035 km2) 56

Manaslu Consrvation Ara (1,663 km2) 58

Watr Towrs 60

Laks, Wtlands and Rivrs 61

Ramsar Sits: Wtlands o Global Signifcancs 63

Othr Wtlands 65

Rivrs 66

World Hritag Sits 69

Bird Watching 72

Cavs 74

Mountain Paks 77

Gnral Inormation & Prcautions 82

Contents


4/862 Natural Trasurs o Npal

NePAL

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GeneralIntroduction

Littl known until th mid-20th

cntury, whn th country was

opnd to th outsid world,

Npal is hom to 101 divrs

thnic groups who vn today

practic cnturis-old traditions

and rligious blis which hav

changd littl ovr tim.

Npal, a trasur trov o natural hritag, is a rlativly

small nation o 25.8 million popl whr climatic zonsvary dramatically within a short distanc rom th low

lying Kanchan Kalan (67m) to Mount evrst (8848m),

th highst point on arth.

Littl known until th mid-20th cntury, whn th

country was opnd to th outsid world, Npal is hom

to 101 divrs thnic groups who vn today practic

cnturis-old traditions and rligious blis which hav

changd littl ovr tim.

Npals cological zons run ast to wst and ar

vrtically intrsctd by th rivr systms. Th southrn

lowland Tarai (67-300m) continus to th Bhabar blt

covrd with th Char Kos Jhadi orsts known or rich

wildli. Furthr north, th Siwalik zon (700-1500m)

and th Mahabharat rang (1500-2700m) giv way to

th Duns (vallys), such as Trijuga, Sindhuli, Chitwan,

Dang and Surkht. Th Midlands (600-3500m), north o

th Mahabharat rang is whr th two bautiul vallys

o Kathmandu and Pokhara li covrd in trracd

ricflds, and surroundd by orstd watrshds.

Th high Himalaya (abov 3000m) compriss mountain

crsts, alpin pasturs and tmprat orsts limitd by th

tr-lin (4000m) and snow lin (5500m). eight o th 14

ight-thousandrs o th world li in Npal: Sagarmatha

(Mount evrst 8848m), Kanchnjunga (8586m), Lhots

(8516m), Makalu (8463m), Cho Oyu (8201m), Dhaulagiri

(8167 m), Manaslu (8163m) and Annapurna (8091m).Th innr Himalayan vallys (abov 3600m) such as

Mustang and Dolpa ar cold dsrts sharing topographical

charactristics with th Tibtan platau. Npal has fv

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sasons: spring, summr, monsoon, autumn, and

wintr. Th high Himalaya acts as a barrir to th

cold winds blowing rom Cntral Asia in wintr,

and orms th northrn boundary o th monsoon

wind pattrns. eighty prcnt o th prcipitation

is rcivd during th monsoon (Jun-Sptmbr).

Wintr rains ar mor pronouncd in th wstrn

hills. Th avrag annual rainall is 1600mm, but

varis by co-climatic zons, such as 3345mm in

Pokhara and blow 300mm in Mustang.

Tmpratur varis according to topographic

variations with an avrag tmpratur drop o

6C or vry 1000m gain in altitud. In th

Tarai, wintr tmpraturs ar btwn 22-27C,whil summr tmpraturs xcd 37C. In th

Midlands, tmpraturs ar btwn 12-16C.

Npal holds th so

calld Watr Towrs

o South Asia with its

6000 rivrs which ar

snow-d or dpndant

on rain. Th prnnial

rivrs includ thMahakali, Karnali,

Narayani, and Koshi

Rivrs originating in

th Himalaya. Th

mdium-sizd rivrs

lik Babai, Wst Rapti,

Bagmati, Kamla,

Kankai, and Mchi Rivrs gnrally originat in

th Midlands and th Mahabharat rang. A larg

numbr o sasonal strams, mostly originating

in th Siwaliks, ow across th Tarai.

O th 163 wtlands documntd, nin ar

globally rcognizd as Ramsar sits. Thy ar:

Koshitappu Wildli Rsrv, Bshazarital,

Jagdishpur rsrvoir and Ghodaghodital in

th tarai, and Gokyo, Phoksundo, Rara and

Gosaikunda in th mountainous rgion and Mai

Pokhari (Illam) in th mid-mountain rgion.

Th immns divrsity in Npals ora and auna

is rmarkabl. Its wildli rsourcs blong to

th Palaarctic and Indo-Malayan ralms. Th

136 cosystms is confnd to 11 bio-climatic

zons and 9 co-rgions that ar dfnd by

cological aturs, climat, and plant and

animal communitis.

Comprising only 0.1% o land ara on a global

scal, Npal posssss a disproportionatly rich

biodivrsity. O th total numbr o spcis ound

globally, Npal posssss 2.80% plants, 3.96%

mammals, 3.72% buttris, and 8.90% birds.

O 6391 spcis o owring plants rcordd in

Npal, 399 ar ndmic. Th ndmic auna ar:

Himalayan Fild mous, Spiny babblr, Npal kalij,

14 hrptoauna, and six typs o fshs.

Npals 16 Protctd Aras covr 19.67 % o

its land compard to th global avrag o

11%. each o th nin national parks, thr

wildli rsrvs,

thr consrvation

aras and on hunting

rsrv covr various

gographical locations

rom th sub-tropical

jungls o th tarai toth arctic conditions

o th evrst rgion.

Th World Hritag

Sits o Npal ar:

Chitwan National

Park, Sagarmatha

National Park, Lumbini,

Changu Narayan, Kathmandu Durbar Squar,

Patan Durbar Squar, Bhaktapur Durbar Squar,

Swoyambhunath, Boudhanath and Pashupatinath.

Thr ar mor than 30 natural cavs in th

country out o which only a w ar accssibl

by road. Th Maratika Cav (also known as

Halshi) is a pilgrimag sit associatd with

Buddhism and Hinduism. Th Siddha cav is

nar Bimalnagar along th Kathmandu-Pokhara

highway. Th Pokhara ara is known or cavs

namly Bats shd, Batulchaur, Guptswar,Patal Chhango tc. Th numrous cavs around

Lo Manthang in Mustang includ Luri and

Tashi Kabum which hous ancint murals and

chhortns dating back to th 13th cntury.

Th immns divrsity in Npals

ora and auna is rmarkabl. Its

wildli rsourcs blong to th

Palaarctic and Indo-Malayan

ralms. Th 136 cosystms is

confnd to 11 bio-climatic zons

and 9 co-rgions that ar dfnd

by cological aturs, climat, and

plant and animal communitis.

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Mothsand Butterflies

Npal has a high numbr o auna

spcis o which highr auna

groups hav bn rlativly wll

studid compard to th lowr

auna groups, xcpt or th

buttris and to som xtnt

th spidrs.

Npal has a high numbr o auna spcis o which

highr auna groups hav bn rlativly wll studid

compard to th lowr auna groups, xcpt or th

buttris and to som xtnt th spidrs.

Thr ar 651 spcis o buttris, which ar

distributd throughout th country in various cological

zons, 325 in th Tarai, 557 spcis in th Mid-hills, and

82 in th Highlands. Th Rd Data Book o th Fauna o

Npal has listd 142 spcis o buttris, o which 12

wr ndangrd, 43 vulnrabl, and th rst, 87 spcissuscptibl to b thratnd. Th ndangrd spcis

ar Brown gorgon, Krishna pacock, Sikkim hairstrak,

Slat Royal, Scac sirn, Blu duchss, Pal Hockystick

sailr, Grat Hockystick sailr, Crbta, Pal orstr

and Liddrdals dawny.

Th thr ndmic spcis o buttris in Npal ar:

Bandd Apollo, Common Rd apollo and Walnut Blu.

Similarly, th thr spcis listd in th CITeS appndix II

ar Kaisr-I-hind, Goldn birdwing and Common birdwing.

Th Himalayan cli honyb, th worlds largst b

spcis, and th Atlas moth, th worlds largst moth,

and a rlict Himalayan dragony ar thr o th bst-

known inscts uniqu to Npal. Found in th Manaslu

and Annapurna consrvation aras, th Himalayan

cli honyb (Apis laboriosa) normally masurs

3cm in lngth, nsts at altituds btwn 2500m and

3200m, and orags at altituds o up to 4,100m. Th

Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) has a wingspan o up to400sq.cm. rom as littl as 25cm. to 30cm. Th Rlict

Himalayan dragony (Epiophlebia laidlawi) is ound in

th Sagarmatha National Park and Shivapuri Nagarjun

National Park.

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Wildlife

Wildli o Npal is ofcially classifd into two main

catgoris: common and protctd. Th common

catgory lists such spcis as common lopard, spottd

dr, Himalayan tahr, blu shp and othrs. Ths

spcis ar commonly sn in th wild. Th protctd

spcis includ 26 mammals, nin birds and thr

rptils. Ths rar animals ar confnd to thir prim

habitats. Howvr, thy can b ncountrd in th

spcifc protctd aras mostly during autumn and

spring as ollows:

Wildli o Npal is

ofcially classifd into

two main catgoris:

common and protctd.

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SN English Name Local Name Latin Name Protected Areas for Encounter

1 Asiatic lphant Hatti Elephas maximus Parsa, Chitwan, Bardia, Shuklaphanta,Koshitappu

2 Assams monky Assami rato bandar Macaca assamensis Langtang, Makalu Barun, Kanchnjunga

3 Black buck Krisnasar Antilope cervicapra Bardia, Khairi-Panditpur

4 Cloudd lopard Dwans chituwa Neofelis nebulosa Shivapuri and othr National Parks

5 Four hornd antilop Chauka Tetraceros quadricornis Bardia, Chitwan

6 Gangtic dolphin Shons Platanista gangetica Koshitappu, Chitwan, Bardia

7 Gaur Gauri gai Bos gaurus Chitwan, Parsa, Trijuga

8 Grat Tibtan shp Nayan Ovis ammon Annapurna

9 Himalayan Bar Himali rato bhalu Ursus arctos Annapurna

10 Hispid har Hispid kharayoCaprolagus hispidus

Shuklaphanta11 Indian pangolin Salak Manis pentadactyla Shivapuri

12 Lopard cat Chari bagh Felis bengalensia Langtang

13 Lynx Lynx Felis lynx Annapurnna

14 Musk dr Kasturi mirga Moschus moschiferos Kangchnjungha, Sagarmatha, Makalu

Barun, Langtang, Rara, Annapurna,

Manaslu, Shy-Phoksundo, Khaptad, Rara

15 Pygmi hog Pudk Bandl Sus salvanius Koshitappu

16 Rd panda Habr Ailurus fulgens Kangchnjungha, Sagarmatha,

Makalu Barun, Langtang

17 Rhinocros Gainda Rhinoceros unicornis Chitwan, Bardia, Shuklaphanta

18 Snow lopard Hiu chituwa Panthere uncia Shy-Phoksundo, Langtang,Sagarmatha, Kangchnjungha

19 Spottd linsang Silu Prionodon pardicolor Chitwan

20 Stripd hyna Hundar Hyaena hyaena Bardia

21 Swamp dr Barhasingha Cervus duvauceli Shuklaphanta, Bardia

22 Tibtan antilop Chiru Pantholops hodgsoni Shy Phoksundo

23 Tigr Bagh Panthera tigris Parsa, Chitwan, Bardia, Shuklaphanta

24 Wild bualo Arna Bubalus bubalis Koshitappu

25 Wild yak Yak Bos grunniens Sagarmatha, Makalu, Kanchnjunga

26 Wol Bwanso Canis lupus Shy Phoksundo, Khaptad, Sagarmatha

Mammals

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BirdsSN English Name Local Name Latin Name Protected Areas for Encounter

1 Chir phasant Kalij Catreus wallichii Mountain protctd aras

2 Impyan phasant Dan Lophophorus impeyanus Mountain protctd aras

3 Crimson hornd phasant Monal Tragopan satyra Mountain protctd aras

4 Whit stork Sto sarus Ciconia ciconia Chitwan, Parsa

5 Bngal orican Khar majur Eupodotis bengalensis Chitwan, Bardia, Shuklaphanta, Parsa

6 Lssr orican Sano khar majur Sypheotides indica Chitwan, Bardia, Parsa

7 Sarus cran Sarus Grus grus Lumbini, Chitwan, Shuklaphanta, Parsa

8 Giant hornbill Thulo dhansh Buceros bicornis Chitwan, Bardia, Parsa9 Black stork Kalo sarus Ciconia nigra Chitwan, Bardia, Shuklaphanta, Parsa

ReptilesSN English Name Local Name Latin Name Protected Areas for Encounter

1 Gharial Gharial gohi Gavialis gangeticus Chitwan, Bardia, Koshi

2 Python Ajingar Python species Chitwan, Bardia, Parsa, Shuklaphanta,Koshi

3 Monitor lizard Sun gohoro Varanus flavescens Chitwan, Bardia, Shuklaphanta

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Th Cntral Zoo (6.5ha) houss 119 spcis o 970

animals. Thy compris 33 spcis o 206 mammals,

60 spcis o 321 birds, 17 spcis o 424 fsh and

9 spcis o 19 rptils. Locatd at Jawalakhl in

Lalitpur, th zoo is opn on all working days, and

animals can b viwd rom clos rang. O th

mammals, som notabl spcis ar Guina pig,

Hippopotamus, Lopard, Lion-Taild macaqu, On-

hornd rhinocros, Siamang, Royal Bngal tigr, Whit

mic and othrs.

Th Natural History Musum, stablishd in 1975,

houss an stimatd 40,000 zoological spcimns

(invrtbrats and vrtbrats), including 900

spcimns o ovr 650 spcis o birds and 100

skltons, som skins, ossils, rocks, and minrals,

plastic and clay modls, and wildli trophis.

Wildli musums maintaind in th protctd aras

hav signifcant collctions mostly obtaind rom local

sourcs as wll as som that wr confscatd rompoachrs and smugglrs.

Th Cntral Zoo (6.5ha) houss

119 spcis o 970 animals.

Thy compris 33 spcis o 206

mammals, 60 spcis o 321

birds, 17 spcis o 424 fsh and

9 spcis o 19 rptils.

Zoo andMuseums

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Flowers and

VegetationLying at th cological crossroads o

major oristic rgions, Npal boasts o

ovr 6,390 spcis o owring plants

(including 400 tr spcis) rprsntd

in th 136 cosystms confnd to 11

bio-climatic zons and nin co-rgions.

Lying at th cological crossroads o major oristic

rgions, Npal boasts o ovr 6390 spcis o owring

plants (including 400 tr spcis) rprsntd in th

136 cosystms confnd to 11 bio-climatic zons and

nin co-rgions.

Th Tarai-Siwaliks (blow 1000m) contain subtropicalvgtation that has charactristics o th south-ast

Asia-Malaysian and Indian oristic composition.

Th dominant tr is sal, and othr spcis xtant

ar Terminalia, Anogeissus, Adina cordifolia, Butea

monosperma, Bombax ceiba, Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia

catechutc. Th orsts in th wstrn rgion ar wll

prsrvd. It is stimatd that thr ar narly 1500

spcis o owring plants in this blt.

Th Mid-hills (1000-3000m) hav th gratst cosystmas wll as spcis divrsitis in Npal, largly du

to th grat varity o trrain and th occurrnc o

subtropical to tmprat ora and auna in this zon.

Harboring narly 32% o th orsts in th country, th

zon includs 52 typs o cosystms with an stimatd

numbr o owring plant spcis ovr 4000. Major

spcis ound in th zon ar Castanopsis indica,

Schima wallichii, chir pine, Alnus nepalensis, Cedrela,

Albiziatc in th lowr blt, and Castanopsis tribuloides,

Castanopsis hystrix, Lithocarpus pachyphylla, blu pin,

svral spcis o oaks and rhododndrons, Aesculus,

Acer, Juglanstc in th uppr blt.

Th Highlands (abov 3000m) includ 38 major

cosystms covring on-third o th countrys orsts.

Thy compris around on third o th total orst covr

o Npal, rprsnting birch, oak, rhododndron, junipr,

fr, cdar, larch, and spruc orsts. About 420 owring

plant spcis hav bn rcordd abov 5,000m on bothsids o th Himalayan rang in th evrst rgion. It is

stimatd that ovr 2,700 spcis o owring plants ar

ound in th zon. Although rlativly lss divrs than

th Mid-hills and Lowlands, thy ar charactrizd by a

larg numbr o ndmic spcis.

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Basd on th climatological, orisitic and

cological inormation, Npal has bn dividd

into thr gographic rgions: Wst (th Karnali

Rivr systm urthr wst o 83e longitud); east

(th Koshi Rivr systm urthr ast o 8630elongitud); and Cntr (Gandaki Rivr systm

btwn 83 and 8630e longituds). Th

indicator spcis lik Aesculus indicaand Cedrus

deodaraar prdominantly ound in th wst,

whil Castanopsis hystrixand Larix griffithianaar

prdominant in astrn and cntral Npal. eastrn

Npal is richr in rhododndron spcis, or xampl

th Mchi zon contains as many as 28 spcis,

and th Mahakali zon only 5. Th Rhododendron

arboreumgrows up to 15m and grows abundantlyin th lowr blt, whras Rhododendron nivale

grows only 10-30cm at 4500-5500m, th world

rcord or th vascular plants.

Th cntral Botanical Gardn (82 ha) is locatd

at Godawari (1515m) in th south-ast cornr o

th Kathmandu vally. At th bas o Phulchoki

(2.715m), it is surroundd by natural vrgrn

orsts o mainly Schima wallichiiandCastanopsis

indica. Alnus nepalensisar concntratd along

th watr courss. Som common trs and shrubs

o this gardn ar Choerospondias axillaris,

Myrica esculenta, Pyracantha crenulata, Rubus

ellipticus, Mahonia napaulensis, Zizyphus incurve,

Stranvaesia nussia, Prunus cerrasoides, Pyrus

pashiatc. Th orchid hous alon contains about

90 spcis including Dendrobium densiflorum,

Ceologyne cristata, Calanthe masucaand Pleione

hookerianatc.

Th othr botanical gardns in th country

(location, altitud, yar o stablishmnt) ar:

1. Maipokhari Botanical Gardn, Illam,

2200m (1992)

2. Dhanusha Botanical Gardn, Dhanushadham,

Dhanusha, 75m (1998)

3. Vrindaban Botanical Gardn, Htauda,

Makawanpur, 500m (1962)

4. Daman Botanical Gardn, Daman,Makawanpur, 2140m (1962)

5. Tistung Botanical Gardn, Tistung,

Makawanpur, 1700m (1962)

6. Dhakri Botanical Gardn, Bank, 130m (1962)

7. Mulpani Botanical Gardn, Kapurkot, salyan,

2000m (1990)

8. Dhitachor Botanical Gardn, Jumla, 2500m (1990)

9. Godawari Botanical Gardn, Godavari, Kailali,

130m (1998)

10.Doria Botanical Gardn, Dhangadhi, Kailali 100m

Th National Hrbarium at Godavari (stablishd in

1960) houss ovr 161,800 plant spcimns and is

th largst hrbarium in Npal.

Ovr 700 spcis o plants o Npal hav bn idntifd

as plants having mdicinal valu. O thm, 72 spcis

ar commrcially important, and th fv major spcis

having th highst xport quantity o thir biomatrials

ar rittha or soap nut (Sapindus mukorossi), timur

or Npali pppr (Zanthoxylum armatum), Jhyau or

Lichn (Parmelia spp), Pawan (Persia bombycina) and

Chirtta (Swertia chirayita). A uniqu plant spcis

that grows on a catrpillar is yarsa gumba (Cordyceps

sinensis) which is ound in th Shy Phoksundo ara

and similar high altitud rgions. Th Amchi(Tibtan

traditional halr) and Aryuvdic traditions rly on ths

mdicinal hrbs and thir drivativs or thir curs.

Som important placs whr ths traditions ar xtantar: Annapurna, Langtang, Sagarmatha and Shy-

Phoksundo bsids othrs.

Th community orsts in th hills and plains ar

notworthy and worth a visit. Ovr 15,000 usr

groups ar ngagd in th planting and natural

rgnration o trs and mdicinal plants. Wildli

including birds and mammals lik lopards hav

rturnd to ths orsts. In many placs, tourism

has bcom a major activity bsids harvsting oorst products. Th activitis in th community

orsts within th bur zons o Chitwan ar:

lphant saaris, natur walks tc.

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PROTeCTeDAReAS

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ProtectedAreas of Nepal

With th nactmnt o th 1973 National Parks

and Wildli Consrvation Act, Npal joind othr

nations in th caus o biodivrsity consrvation by

stablishing 16 Protctd Aras that includ nin

national parks, thr wildli rsrvs, on hunting

rsrv, and thr consrvation aras. Bur zons

hav bn dclard in th 11 protctd aras whr

local communitis ar mpowrd to manag thir

own rsourcs.

Ths protctd aras ar th dpositoris o divrs

ora and auna ound in th country. Thy rprsnt

31 out o 36 orst cosystms as simplifd rom

th 136 typs on th basis o th climax vgtations

and cological homognity. Thy ar hom to

95% o th total bird spcis ound in th country,

85% o th mammal spcis, and 66% ach o th

hrptoauna and fsh spcis. Thy includ two

World Hritag Sits and six Ramsar Sits out o nin.

With th nactmnt o th 1973

National Parks and Wildli

Consrvation Act, Npal joind othr

nations in th caus o biodivrsity

consrvation by stablishing 16

Protctd Aras that includ nin

national parks, thr wildli

rsrvs, on hunting rsrv, and

thr consrvation aras.

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Attractions and

Activitieseach o th protctd aras o

Npal has its uniqu cological

aturs oring spcial

attractions and potntial

activitis or visitors dpnding

upon its location.

each o th protctd aras o Npal has its uniqu

cological aturs oring spcial attractions and

potntial activitis or visitors dpnding upon

its location. Th ollowing two tabls (on by

physiographical locations and anothr by protctd

aras) provid basic inormation at a glanc.

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Protected Areas by Location Major Attractions Potential Activities

Tarai Siwaliks (Bardia, Chitwan, Wildli: mga auna and ungulats, elphant rid, jungl driv, natur/villag

Koshitappu, Parsa and Shuklaphanta) birds, lphant stabls walk, olk danc,rating,Rock climbing

Landscap: rivrs, orsts, grasslands, local stivals

wtlands Cultur: Tharu, community listyl

Midlands (Khaptad and Shivapuri) Wildli: lopards, musk dr, dr, Natur/villag walk, local stivals,

wild boar, Himalayan black bar, birds Hiking, Canyoning

Landscap: moorland, orsts, strams

Cultur: community listyl

High Mountains (Annapurna, Wildli: snow lopard, rd panda, Mountainring, trkking, Natur/villag

Dhorpatan, Kanchnjunga, Langtang, musk dr, phasants walk, Canyoning, local stivals

Makalu Barun, Manaslu, Rara, Landscap: mountain paks,

Sagarmatha and Shy Phoksundo) glacial laks, orsts, pasturs

Cultur: Shrpa, Tamang,

Bhotia cultur, community listyl

Protected Area Landscape Wildlife Culture

Annapurna mountain paks, wtlands, snow lopard, blu Svral global rcognitions,

rivrs, cavs, orsts, shp, phasants Hindu andBuddhist cultur,

pasturs transhumanc, ethnic listyls

o Gurung, Thakali, Bhotia,

Magar, Brahmin, Kshtri tc

Bardia Git to th earth, Tigr Tigr, rhinocros, Tharu culturConsrvation Unit lphants

Chitwan World Hritag Sit and Tigr, rhinocros, Tharu cultur, community

Ramsar Sit crocodil/lphant listyl

brding, Vultur

Brding Cntr

Dhorpatan Hunting rsrv, mountain lopard, goral, Hindu cultur,

paks, orsts, pasturs srow, Himalayan transhumanc

tahr, phasants

Kangchnjungha Git to th earth, snow lopard, musk Hindu and Buddhist

mountain paks, glacirs, dr, rd panda, cultur, transhumanc

wtlands, rivrs, orsts, phasants

pasturs

Khaptad moorland, orsts, strams Lopards, musk dr, transhumanc, stivals

wild boar, birds,

wild dog

15


18/86


Koshitappu Ramsar Sit, rivr, Arna, lphants, community listyl

grasslands birds, dolphin

Langtang Ramsar sit, mountain snow lopard, rd Tamang cultur, Amchi,

paks, glacirs, glacial laks, panda, musk dr, stivals, transhumanc

orsts, pasturs phasants, Himalayan

black bar

Makalu Barun mountain paks, glacirs, snow lopard, rd Shrpa cultur, transhumanc,

glacial laks, orsts, panda, musk dr, community listyl

pasturs phasants, Himalayan

black bar

Manaslu mountain paks, rivrs, snow lopard, blu ethnic listyls o Gurung and

orsts, pasturs shp, goral, srow, Bhotia, Amchi, transhumanc

Himalayan tahr,phasants

Parsa orsts, grasslands Tigr, lphants, community listyl

blu bull

16


19/86


Rara Ramsar Sit, lak, orsts Rd panda, musk community listyl

dr, phasants

Sagarmatha World Hritag Sit, Ramsar snow lopard, rd Shrpa cultur, stivals

Sit, mountain paks, panda, musk dr,

glacirs, glacial laks, phasants

orsts, pasturs

Shy Phoksundo Ramsar sit, mountain Snow lopard, blu Bonpo cultur, Amchi,

paks, glacial laks, orsts, shp, musk dr, transhumanc

pasturs, cold dsrt Tibtan wol,

phasants

Shivapuri mountain, orsts, strams Cloudd lopard, Hindu and Buddhist cultur,

Common lopard, stivals

wild boar, HimalayanBlack bar, birds

Shuklaphanta grasslands, wtlands Tigr, barasingha, community listyl

elphants

17


20/86

NATIONALPARKS

18


21/86

BardiaNational Park

Practically untouchd by

modrnization, it is a major

componnt o th Tigr

Consrvation Landscap. Its

proposd xtnsion has bn

dclard a Git to th earth.

BackgroundTh Bardia National Park, situatd in Mid-wstrn

Npal, occupis th Karnali ood plain, th Babai rivr

vally, and th Siwaliks rang with th highst pak o

Sukarmala (1441m).

Practically untouchd by modrnization, it is a major

componnt o th Tigr Consrvation Landscap. Its

proposd xtnsion has bn dclard a Git to thearth.

Historically a hunting ground and fshing sit, 1,500

housholds wr vacuatd rom hr in 1984.

ClimatTh park njoys thr distinct sasons, ach providing

a uniqu xprinc. Octobr through arly April

is quit dry. Th days ar warm, and th nights ar

cool and plasant. From April through Jun, thtmpratur riss up raching 45C in May. Th hot

sticky days giv way to th monsoon rains that last

till Sptmbr. Th bst tim to visit th park is rom

Octobr through March.

Flora and FaunaTh park consists o thr major natural orsts rom

th rivrin composition o khair-sissoo, to sal in th

Tarai and hills and to Chir pin-oak in th Siwaliks. O

th rcordd 173 spcis, sal is th dominant spcis.

(968 km2) and Bur Zon (328 km2)

Practically untouchd bymodrnization, it is a major

componnt o th Tigr Consrvation

Landscap. Its proposd xtnsion has

bn dclard a

Git to th earth.

19


22/86

Th park is hom to 59 spcis o mammals, 407typs o birds, 52 kinds o amphibians/ rptils,

and 124 spcis o fsh. Fauna includs tigrs,

wild lphants, rhinocros, swamp dr, black

buck and dolphins among th mammals, gharials

and pythons among th rptils. Som o th

ndangrd birds ound in th park ar Bengal

florican, Lesser floricanand sarus cran.

Aras o IntrstTh Babai vally consists o an cological

succssion rom cultivatd lands to wildli

habitats. Th Babai rivr is good or fshing

sits, and rating is also possibl.

Th Karnali rivr is known or its larg volum

o watr inhabitd by th critically ndangrd

Gangtic dolphins, sot-shlld turtls and

Mahsr fsh tc. Th Karnali bridg at Chisapani

is idally locatd to provid a grat viwpoint orobsrving th gigantic watr body turning rom

its turbulnt mountain charactr to a widly

sprad braidd pattrn.

Th park is hom to 83 On hornd rhinocros

translocatd rom Chitwan. A vry succssul

program in crocodil brding is also carrid outat Thakurdwara.

An lphant stabl nar Thakurdwara

provids insight and ntrtainmnt or

visitors. Occasionally, wild lphants

rqunt th sit during ding tim. Hrds

o ovr 50 wild lphants mov about th

Babai vally and othr parts o th park.

Visitors otn ncountr ths mga spcis

in th wild.

Th park managmnt rgularly conducts a sris

o scintifc xprimnts on tigr, rhinocros and

othr wildli using camra-traps and

othr quipmnt.

Animal sighting is mor rqunt and highly

rwarding during th annual grass cutting sason

in January.

During th months o Sptmbr, Novmbr,

Fbruary and April, migratory birds arriv to

augmnt th numbr o rsidntial birds giving

birdwatchrs a grat opportunity to njoy

thir sport.

20


23/86

Thr is an inormation cntr, wildli musum,Tharu thnographic musum and souvnir shop

around Thakurdwara. Local lodgs also provid

gusts with basic inormation.

In th bur zon, th local community is

involvd in maintaining orsts, irrigation

channls, biogas projcts, school co clubs, local

stivals, traditional dancs tc.

Th Khairapur black buck sanctuary, locatd nar

Gularia about 15 km south-ast o Thakurdwara,

is hom to ovr 100 black bucks in thir

natural habitat.

ActivitisWith th assistanc o guids and tour oprators,

visitors can participat in a varity o activitis

in and around th park. Dpnding upon thir

choic and intrsts, visitors can go or lphantrids, jungl drivs, rating, natur walks, bird

watching, villag walk, cultural program tc.

AccssPublic buss run along th highway passing

through th park, thus linking it with Kathmandu

and othr parts o th country. Th road journyto Npalgunj rom Kathmandu is about 12 hours.

Th most convnint mans o raching th park

is by ying to Npalgunj (daily ights). Buss ar

also availabl rom Kathmandu. Public bus srvic

is availabl btwn Npalgunj and Thakurdwara,

whil privat vhicls can also b hird.

Visitors can also rach th park by rating down

th Rivr Karnali.

Basic FacilitisThr ar svral rsorts and lodgs that catr to

th hundrds o visitors that arriv hr. Thy

provid xcllnt srvics that includ ood,

accommodation and transport, and organiz

activitis lik natur walks, lphant saaris,

jungl driv, rating tc. Around Thakurdwara

thr ar also rstaurants, cybr cas, souvnirshops, mdical shops tc.

For Furthr InormationBardia National Park Ofc,

Thakurdwara, Bardia.

Tl: 977 (84) 429712

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24/86

ChitwanNational Park

Chitwan (mans orsts whr lopardsdwll), is th frst national park o

Npal stablishd in 1973. According

to UNeSCO, th World Hritag Sit

is At th oot o th Himalayas,

Chitwan is on o th w rmaining

undisturbd vstigs o th Tarai

rgion, which ormrly xtndd ovr

th oothills o India and Npal. It has

a particularly rich ora and auna. On

o th last populations o On-hornd

Asiatic rhinocros livs in th park,

which is also on o th last rugs o

th Bngal tigr.

Chitwan (mans orsts whr lopards dwll), isth frst national park o Npal stablishd in 1973.

According to UNeSCO, th World Hritag Sit is At

th oot o th Himalayas, Chitwan is on o th w

rmaining undisturbd vstigs o th Tarai rgion,

which ormrly xtndd ovr th oothills o India and

Npal. It has a particularly rich ora and auna. On o

th last populations o On-hornd Asiatic rhinocros

livs in th park, which is also on o th last rugs

o th Bngal tigr.

For its xmplary community-orintd consrvation

works, CNP has rcivd wid acclaim as th bst

managd park at th 5th World Park Congrss.

ClimatTh park njoys thr main sasons: hot and dry

summr, a hot and humid rainy sason and a warm

wintr. Btwn Octobr and Fbruary, th avrag

tmpratur is 25C nsuring a plasant climat. FromMarch through Jun, tmpraturs can rach as high

as 43C. Th hot and humid days giv way to th

monsoon sason that typically lasts or our months

rom Jun through Sptmbr. Th bst tim to visit is

rom Octobr through March.

Flora and FaunaTh park has a rich ora that includs sal, Palash, silk

cotton, Tr rn, Cycas, Scrw pin and orchids. Thr

ar mor than 50 dirnt typs o grass spcis,including th lphant grass, rnownd or its immns

hight raching up to 8m.


22


25/86

Th park is hom to 58 spcis o mammals,

539 typs o birds, 56 typs o rptils and

amphibians, and 124 spcis o fsh. Th

mammalian spcis includ th rhinocros, tigr,

lphant, antlop, lopard, wild boar, bar tc.

whil among th rptils ound hr ar th

goldn monitor lizard, python, crocodil tc.

Som o th bird spcis ound hr ar: Black

Nckd stork, th Lssr Adjutant stork, th Gry

Hadd Fishing agl, th Brahmini ducks, th

Bngal orican, th Lssr orican, th Giant

hornbill tc.

Aras o IntrstTh park is an xampl o cological succssions.

Onc inhabitd by ovr 11,000 popl, th

Old Padampur ara along with th abandond

armlands, irrigation canals tc.has bcom

a prim habitat or rhinocros. A visit to th

crocodil brding cntr at Kasara, and anlphant brding cntr at Khorsor nar

Sauraha can b both rwarding and ducativ.

Monitoring o tigrs, rhinocros and birds is

scintifcally carrid out in th park.

Wildli sighting is mor rqunt during th

annual grass cutting sason in January.

During th months o Sptmbr to Novmbr,

Fbruary to April, thousands o migratory birds

arriv to join th rsidntial birds

providing bird watchrs with

spctacular viw o a varity

o birds.

Chitwan is known

or shrins lik

that o th

Bikram baba whr

nwly wds com

to pray or a good

conjugal li and th

Valmiki Ashram whr th Ramayan

pics ar rprsntd.

In Chitwan, tourism rlatd stivals, airs and

vnts ar organizd by th local bodis whil Tigr

Tops annual World elphant Polo Championships is

hld at Mghauly during th wintr.

Thr ar inormation cntrs and wildli musums

in such placs as Kasara, Khorsor, Sauraha

and Tikauli. On can visit th Tharu musum

and souvnir shop locatd at Sauraha. Basic

inormation is also availabl at th

various lodgs.

Community orsts, irrigation works, biogas

plants, co clubs and traditional dancs ar som

o th communal activitis worth sing.

23


26/86

ActivitisDpnding upon th lvl o advntur and

intrsts, visitors can participat in a varity

o activitis such as lphant rids, jungl

drivs, canoing rids, natur/villag walks, bird

watching, cultural programs tc.

AccssPublic buss, tourist coachs, and airlins

srvics link Chitwan with Kathmandu and othrparts o th country. Privat vhicls can also

b hird. Th road journy rom Kathmandu

is about our hours long. Visitors can also

rach th park by rating down th Trishuli and

Narayani rivrs.

Th Bharatpur airport, hal an hour driv rom

Sauraha, is srvd by rgular ights to and rom

Kathmandu and occasionally Pokhara.

Thr ar nin ntranc gats to th park:

1. Kasara via Jagatpur

2. Ghatgain via Patihani

3. Bhiml via Mghauli

4. Khagndra Malli via Bhandara

5. Sunachuri via Sunachuri along th ast wsthighway

6. Sauraha via Tandi (Ratna Nagar)

7. Laukhani via Pragatinagar

8. Amaltari via Danda

9. Kujauli via Rajahar

Basic FacilitisThr ar svn high class rsorts in th park, and

ovr 60 dirnt lodgs mostly in Sauraha and

othr aras outsid th park. Th srvic providd

by ths lodgs which includ accommodation

and ood is xcllnt and thy also organiz a

varity o activitis (natur/villag walks, lphant

rids, jungl drivs, cano rids,Hors rids, caml

rids,cart drivs, olk dancs tc) in and around th

park. Bicycls and othr mans o transport ar

availabl on hir. Othr acilitis ar rstaurants,

cybr cas, souvnir shops and mdicin shops.

For Furthr InormationChitwan National Park Ofc,

Kasara, Chitwan.

Tl: 977 (56) 529405; 977 (56) 580072

(56) 621069; 977 (56)621071

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27/86

Khaptad National Park, an

isolatd platau, is at th

junction o Achham, Bajura,

Bajhang and Doti districts and

includs Patans (moorlands),

rivults and th Khapar dah

(lak), and orstd slops. As

advisd by lat Khaptad Baba,

th park was stablishd in 1984

or th consrvation o naturalhrbs and th habitat.

BackgroundKhaptad National Park, an isolatd platau, is at th

junction o Achham, Bajura, Bajhang and Doti districts

and includs Patans (moorlands), rivults and th

Khapar dah (lak), and orstd slops. As advisd by

lat Khaptad Baba, th park was stablishd in 1984

or th consrvation o natural hrbs and th habitat.

ClimatTh spring (March-May) and autumn (Octobr-Novmbr) ar plasant with tmpraturs ranging

rom 10C to 20C whn trkking can b njoyd in

th plasant sunny wathr. Th monsoon bgins in

Jun and lasts until Sptmbr. Th wintr months,

Dcmbr to Fbruary bring snow and chilly winds.

Flora and FaunaTh park has about 355 spcis o vascular plants o

which 135 spcis ar distributd in moorlands. Th

blooming owrs consist o primulas, buttrcups,

wild brris and bistortas. Th pristin orsts

ar comprisd o fr, oak, hmlock, laurl and

rhododndrons in th uppr blt, and Chir pins,

Npals aldr and rhododndrons in th lowr blt.

Th park is hom to about 287 bird spcis both

migratory and rsidnts, such as th Impyan

phasant, partridgs, ycatchrs, bulbuls, cuckoos,

Prgrin alcon, Whit rumpd vultur, and agls. A

wid varity o buttris, moths, and inscts ar also

an important part o th Khaptad cosystm.

KhaptadNational Park


25


28/86

Among th 23 mammalian spcis, th commonons includ lopards, musk dr, barking dr,

wild boar, goral, Himalayan black bar, Yllow-

throatd martn, wild dog, and Rhsus and

Langur monkys.

Aras o IntrstTh park ors a varity o attractions dpicting

natural hritag nrichd with cultural

traditions.

Th 22 moorlands dmonstrat th dynamic

procss o transhumanc in Npal. Thousands

o rly grazing cattl can b obsrvd in th

madows. Sasonal cattl shds dot th rolling

hills.

Th park is idal or spiritual xprincs lik

mditation in th tranquil surroundings. Tobacco

products, alcohol, and animal sacrifc arprohibitd hr.

Th Khaptad Baba hrmitag is th ocal point

hr, with many shrins within walking distanc.

Th popular shrins ar th Tribni conunc,

Khaptad dah, Shiva tmpl, Sita paila, Gansh

tmpl, Nagdhunga, Kdardhunga, and Sahashra

Linga (highst point at 3,200m)

Thousands o pilgrims arriv at th platauduring th stivals o Ganga Dashahara in May

and Janai Purnima in August.

Thr is a small musum and a viw towr nar

th park hadquartrs. To th north on can

s th Saipal Himalayan rang. In th othr

dirction, th vast grn mid-hills o Npal can

b sn clarly.



in and around th park. Dpnding upon thlvl o advntur and intrsts, visitors can go

or natur hiks, bird watching, villag walks,

cultural programs tc.

AccssTh most popular ntry point is rom Silgadhi

(in Doti) which is rachd atr a six-hour

uphill trk to Jhingrana, th park ntranc, and

anothr svn hours to th park hadquartrs.

Thr ar numrous trails lading towards various

moorlands in th park, and th most rquntly

usd ar:

a. Lokhada Khaptad - Jhingrana

b. Kudaun Khaptad - Jhingrana

c. Rato Mato Khaptad - Jhingrana

d. Ballto Sahasraling - Khaptad - Jhingrana

Thr ar airstrips around th park, such

as Chainpur in Bajhang, Kolt in Bajura,

Sanbagar in Achham, and Dipayal in Doti. O

ths, th bst option is to y rom Npalgunj

to Dipayal and tak a local bus to Silgadhi.

Th othr options ar: y to Achham or

Bajhang ollowd by a two-day walk, or y to

Bajura ollowd by a our-day trk to th park

hadquartrs. Not: ths airports ar sldom

in opration.

Basic FacilitisOnly limitd subsistnc acilitis ar availabl

in th ara. Th local lodgs can accommodat

only a w popl at a tim. Visitors must bring

thir own tnts, ood, ul and all othr supplis

including frst-aid kits.

For Furthr InormationKhaptad National Park Ofc,Chhdi Patan, Bajura.

Tl: 977 (94) 690358, 019- 460001

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29/86

Th park lis along th tradrout btwn Npal and Tibt

(China). Th historical sit o

Rasuwagadhi, a mdival priod

ort, lis at th bordr.

BackgroundTh Langtang National Park, lying in th cntral

highland, is th frst Himalayan national park o th

country. Forming th uppr catchmnts o th Trishuli

and Btrabati rivrs, its topography ranging rom

subtropical to alpin zons ar th mting points o

Indo-Malayan and Palarctic ralms.

Th park lis along th trad rout btwn Npal and

Tibt (China). Th historical sit o Rasuwagadhi, a

mdival priod ort, lis at th bordr.

LangtangNational Park

(1,710 km2) and Bur Zon (420 km2)

27


30/86

ClimatTh priod o Sptmbr through May is

rlativly dry xcpt in January-Fbruary whn

thr is occasional snow all. By April, bursts

o rd, pink, and whit rhododndron blooms

orm towring canopis amidst th fr and oak

orsts. From Jun through August, th skis ar

havy with monsoon rains. Autumn (Sptmbr-

Octobr) is th bst tim or trkking within th

park.

Flora and FaunaTh park rprsnts ightn cosystms ranging

rom th Hill sal and pin orsts in th lowr

blt to th alpin blt o glacirs, snow and

rocks. Th main tr spcis ar sal, Chir pin,

Schima wallichii, Castanopsis indicain th lowr

blt; oak, laurl and blu pin in th middl

blt; and larch, fr, birch and rhododndron in

th highr blt.

O th 1,043 spcis o vascular plants

rcordd, 15 ar ndmic spcis including

Rhodondendron cownianum, R. lowndesii, Larix

nepalensis. Langtangs xpansiv high madows

provid summr habitat or numrous ungulat

spcis such as musk dr and Himalayan tahr.

Th park is hom to 46 mammalian spcis

including rd panda, snow lopard, clouddlopard, musk dr, Himalayan tahr, and ovr 345

spcis o birds including th Impyan phasant,

Ibis bill, Whit-wingd rdstart, Snow partridg.

Thr ar 4 hrpto and 30 fsh spcis.

Aras o IntrstIts landscap compriss mountain paks,

glacirs, glacial laks, rivrs, hot watr spring,

gorgs, clis, pasturs and orsts. Within this

landscap ar sttlmnts and cattl shds tc.

Th thr main trk routs in th park, namly 1)

Langtang Vally, 2) Hlambu and 3) Gosaikunda

Lak covr much o th park and th southrn

Hlambu rgion. Langtang and Hlambu rgionsar connctd through Lauribina La. Along

th trk routs thr ar many locally opratd

hotls, tahouss, and campsits or trkkrs.

Signifcant wildrnss sits includ Ghora

Tabla, Kyanjin, Panch Pokhari, Hlambu,

to o Langshisa glacir, and Ganja La pass.

Among th cultural sits ar: Langtang villag,

Mlamchighyang, Tarkghyang and Shrmathang

which ar worth visiting.

Th Langtang-Hlambu trails ar rocky and

slippry atr rain or rost. Caution must b takn

against rockalls at crtain sctions o th trails.

Hiking alon is not advisabl. Hiring local guids

is strongly rcommndd or trks to Ganja La

(5120m) and Lauribina La (4,600m) during wintr.

Among th rich cultural hritag o Tamangs and

Shrpas, on important aspct is th indignousknowldg o hrbal mdicin, transhumanc

systm and chs production. Som community

works includ garbag managmnt, trail

managmnt, hritag consrvation tc.

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Starting Point Destination Hours Altitudes

Dhunch (1950m) Thulo Syaru 4-5 2,120mThulo Syaru Syarubnsi 3-4 1,420m

Syarubnsi Bamboo 4-5 1,975m

Bamboo Lama Hotl 3-4 2,581m

Lama Hotl Ghora Tabla 3-4 3000m

Ghora Tabla Langtang 3-4 3,307m

Langtang Kyanjin 2-3 3,800m

Langtang Vally Trk (Dhunch-Kyanjin)

Trkking hours may vary among visitors.


Sundarijal (1350m) Chisopani 3-4 2,300m

Chisopani Kutumsang 4-5 2,470m

Kutumsang Tharpati 4-6 3,490m

Tharpati Tark Gyang 4-6 2,620m

Tark Gyang Srmathang 3-4 2,620m

Srmathang Malmchi Pul 4-5 8,46m

Hlambu Trk (Sundarijal-Mlamchi)



Dhunch (1950m) Thulo Syaru 4-5 2,390m

Thulo Syaru Sing Gompa 3-4 3,350mSing Gompa Gosainkunda 4-5 4,381m

Gosainkunda Lauribina pass 3-4 4,609m

Lauribina pass Ghopt 3-4 3,430m

Ghopt Thar Pati 4-5 3,600m

Thar Pati Kutumsang 4-5 1,850m

Kutumsang Chisopani 4-5 2,134m

Chisopani Sundarijal 3-4 1,350m

Dhunch Gosainkunda Sundarijal (Kathmandu)


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Inormation cntrs and musums stablishd atDhunch ar vry usul to th visitors. Lodg

ownrs can also provid basic inormation.



in and around th park. Dpnding upon th

lvl o advntur and intrsts, visitors can go

trkking, climbing, bird watching or go on natur

walks, villag walks and visit hot springs tc.

AccssFrom Kathmandu th asist mans o raching

th park is to tak a public bus or hir a car

to rach th park hadquartrs at Dhunch

(1,950m). Road continus all th way to

Syarubnsi (1,420m).

Chartrd and spcially arrangd hlicoptrs yto th Gosainkunda ara during th

stival sason.

Basic FacilitisThr ar svral hotls, lodgs and tashops

at Dhunch and Syarubnsi. Th communitis

hav arrangd or a hom-stay in th villags

byond ths placs. In th alpin aras o

th park, only limitd subsistnc acilitis ar

availabl. Visitors must bring thir own tnts,

ood, ul and all othr supplis including frst-

aid kits.

For Furthr InormationLangtang National Park Ofc,

Dhunch, Rasuwa.

Tl: 977 (10) 540119/540219

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Makalu BarunNational Park

Th skylin is mad up o a chain

o ruggd Himalayan paks,

including Mt. Makalu (8,463m)

fth highst mountain in th

world and ourth highst in

Npal. Mt. Chamlang (7,319m),

Mt. Barunts (7,129m) and Mra

Pak (6,654m) ar th othr wll-

known paks in this rgion.

BackgroundTh Makalu Barun National Park lis in th north-

astrn Himalayan rgion o Npal adjacnt to

Sagarmatha National Park. It is th only protctd

ara on arth with an altitud gain o 8,000m rom

th low tropical orsts along th Arun vally to th

loty, icy mountain summits. Th skylin is mad up

o a chain o ruggd Himalayan paks, including Mt.

Makalu (8,463m) fth highst mountain in th world

and ourth highst in Npal. Mt. Chamlang (7,319m),Mt. Barunts (7,129m) and Mra Pak (6,654m) ar th

othr wll-known paks in this rgion.

ClimatPrcipitation during th monsoon is ovr 70% btwn

Jun and Sptmbr. Pr-monsoon rain alls in April

and May and supports biomass production. Grat

variations in tmpratur and prcipitation can b

xpctd du to xtrm dirncs in altitud and

slop within th ara. Th bst tim to visit ar:

Spring (Fbruary-April) and Autumn

(Octobr-Novmbr).

Flora and FaunaTh park rprsnts 20 dirnt cosystms ranging

rom th Hill sal orsts to th alpin zons which

consist o glacirs, snow and rock. Th major

tr spcis ar sal, Chir pin, Schima wallichii,

Castanopsis indicain th lowr blt, and oak, mapl,magnolia, sorbus in th middl blt, and fr, birch and

rhododndron in th highr blt.

(1,500 km2) and Bur Zon (830 km2)

31


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O th 284 spcis o vascular plantsrcordd rom th park, 8 ar ndmic. Th

park is rcognizd or its trmndously rich

oral divrsity signifd by 25 spcis o

rhododndrons and 47 spcis o orchids.

Th park is hom to th snow lopard, rd panda,

musk dr, wild boar, and Himalayan Black bar

among 88 mammal spcis. Among th 440

spcis o birds, th important ons ar Spiny

babblr (ndmic to Npal), Impyan phasant,

Ruous throatd wrn babblr, Slty-bllid Tsia

tc. Th park is also inhabitd by 59 rptil/

amphibian spcis and 78 spcis o fsh.

Aras o IntrstTh landscap consists o mountain paks,

glacirs, glacial laks, rivrs, hot watr springs

gorgs, clis, pasturs, orsts tc. Mt Makalu

(8,463m) is th major landmark o th park. ThMakalu bas camp and th Mra pak (6,654m)

ar popular trkking dstinations.

Most trails ar quit rocky, and bcom slippry

atr rain or ovrnight rzs. Until April or

May, wintr snows gnrally covr th passs

and high altitud trails approaching Shrshong.

On particular hazardous ara is th trail

btwn Mumbuk and Yangl Kharka, an ara

o unstabl and dangrous rockall. Trkkrs inthis ara should mov quickly and watch out or

alling rocks.

Anothr intrsting aspct o th park is th

community listyl. Traditional rsourc

managmnt systms such as community

control ld grazing and orst guardianship ar

worth obsrving.



in and around th park. Dpnding upon thlvl o advntur and intrsts, visitors can go

or trks, climbing, natur hiks, bird watching,

villag walks or attnd cultural programs tc.

AccssTh narst airport as wll as th gatway to th

park is Tumlingtar. Thr ar daily ights rom

Kathmandu and Biratnagar.

Tumlingtar could also b rachd rom Biratnagar

or Dharan. It is a svn-hour driv to Hil,

ollowd by a thr-day trk. Th Inkhu vally

o th park can also b rachd rom Lukla or

Phaplu. Both ar connctd with rgular ights

rom Kathmandu.

Th park hadquartrs is locatd at

Murmidanda, Sduwa which is a days journy

rom Tumlingtar.

Basic FacilitisCampsits hav bn dsignatd along th

trk rout or minimizing impact on natural

vgtation and to consrv asthtic valus.

Svn campsits hav bn dsignatd in

(Khongma 3,500 m, Dobato 3,500m, Yangl

3,570m, Ngh 3,700m, Langmal 4,100m,

Shrshong 4,600m) or visitors.

Only limitd subsistnc acilitis ar availabl

in th park. Visitors must bring thir own

tnts, ood, ul and all othr supplis including

frst-aid kits. Krosn dpots ar opratd in

th park to supply altrnativ ul. Similarly,

krosn stovs and blankts ar also availabl

on rnt or portrs.

For Furthr InormationMakalu Barun National Park Ofc,Sduwa, Sankhuwasabha.

Tl: 977 (29) 560136

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Th landscap includs th

towring snow-cappd paks

around th lak namly

Chuchmara pak (4,039 m),

Ruma Kand (3,731m) and Malika

Kand (3,444m). Th lak drains

to Mugu-Kamali Rivr via Nijar

Khola.

BackgroundTh Rara National Park is locatd in th north-wstrn

Himalayan rgion o Npal. Rara (2990 m) is th

biggst lak (10.8km2) but th park is th smallst

on. Th landscap includs th towring snow-cappd

paks around th lak namly Chuchmara pak (4,039

m), Ruma Kand (3,731m) and Malika Kand (3,444m).

Th lak drains to Mugu-Kamali Rivr via Nijar Khola.

ClimatSummrs ar plasant, but wintrs ar vry cold in thpark. From Dcmbr through March, th tmpratur

drops to blow rzing, and havy snowalls occur

up to on mtr, closing high passs. April to Jun

is warm but th sason givs way to monsoon rom

Jun to August. Th bst tim to visit th park is

Sptmbr-Octobr and April-May.

Flora and FaunaTh park is charactrizd by sub-alpin and hightmprat vgtation. It rprsnts 11 typs o orst

cosystms in which th major spcis ar Chir pin,

Npals aldr, walnut, mapl, oak, cyprss, spruc,

Blu pin, fr, birch, rhododndron tc. O th 88

vascular plants rcordd, 16 ar ndmic.

Th park is hom to 51 spcis o mammals, 241

spcis o birds, 2 hrpto and 3 spcis o fsh. Thy

includ Musk dr, Himalayan black bar, lopard,

jackal, Himalayan tahr, Yllow throatd martn, ottr,

Wild dog, Common langur, Rhsus macaqu and

Rd panda.

Rara NationalPark


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Th bird spcis includ coots, snow cock, anddirnt spcis o phasants, grbs, mallard,

common tal, rd-crstd pochard and gulls.

During wintr, many migratory birds join th

rsidntial gallinacous birds.

O th six ndmic fsh spcis ound in Npal,

thr spcis o Asala (snow trout) hav bn

rcordd only in th Rara Lak. Thy ar

Schizothorax macrophthalmus, Schizothorax

nepalensisand Schizothorax raraensis.

Aras o IntrstTh major landmark o th park is th Rara Lak

(2990m) which provids spctacular viws to

visitors. Th oval shapd lak (5 km x 3 km)

is 167m dp. Its radiant blu watr is hom

to th snow trout, th only fsh rcordd in th

lak.

A circumambulating trail along th lak sid has

bn dvlopd or visitors. Boating srvics

has also bn introducd in th lak. Th othr

aras o intrst or visitors can b wildli-bird

watching and botanic xcursions.

Community listyl is o intrst in th bur zon.

Transhumanc systms still xist in th surrounding

aras and sasonal migration is common in th

ara. Thr ar svral tmpls and shrins in thsurrounding aras. Th Npali languag is blivd

to hav originatd in this rgion.

ActivitisWith th assistanc o guids and tour oprators,visitors can participat in a varity o activitis



or trks, natur hiks, wildli/bird watching,

villag walks, pony rids or attnd cultural

programs tc.

AccssTh park can b rachd by ying to th Talcha

airstrip which is only a w hours rom th park

hadquartrs. Chartrd and othr occasional

ights ar arrangd rom Npalgunj. Th othr

rliabl airport is at Jumla which is two and hal

days journy rom park hadquartrs. Thr ar

rgular ights rom Npalgunj.

An intrsting and rwarding mans o raching

th park is by doing a 10 day trk rom Surkht,

or a 5 day trk rom Dailkh.

Basic FacilitisOnly limitd subsistnc acilitis ar availabl

in th park. Th local lodgs can accommodat

only a w prsons at a tim. Visitors must bring

thir own tnts, ood, ul and all othr supplis

including frst-aid kits.

For Furthr Inormation

Rara National Park Ofc,Hutu, Mugu.

Tl: 977 (87) 450101

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Th Sagarmatha National Park

is an xcptional ara with

dramatic mountains, glacirs

and dp vallys, dominatd by

Mount evrst, th highst pak

in th world (8,848 m). Svral

rar spcis, such as th snow

lopard and th lssr panda, ar

ound in th park. Th prsnc

o th Shrpas, with thir uniqucultur, adds urthr intrst to

this sit.

BackgroundTh Sagarmatha National Park is locatd in th

north-astrn Himalayan rgion o Npal. According

to UNeSCO, Th Sagarmatha National Park is an

xcptional ara with dramatic mountains, glacirs and

dp vallys, dominatd by Mount evrst, th highst

pak in th world (8,848 m). Svral rar spcis, such

as th snow lopard and th lssr panda, ar ound

in th park. Th prsnc o th Shrpas, with thir

uniqu cultur, adds urthr intrst to this sit.

ClimatDuring th autumn months o Octobr and Novmbr,

th wathr is plasant but much coldr at night.

During wintr months rom Dcmbr through Fbruary,

th wathr is vry cold and daytim tmpraturs

do not xcd 5 Clsius. During spring th days ar

warm. From Jun through Sptmbr, monsoon rains

mak travl difcult. Th bst tim to visit th park ar

autumn (Octobr-Novmbr), and spring (March-May).

Flora and FaunaTh park rprsnts ight cosystms in th High

Himalaya ranging rom th junipr orsts in th

vallys to th alpin aras with glacirs, snow

and rock. Th orsts consist o Blu pin, birch,

rhododndrons, and fr tc. O th 160 vascular plants

that hav bn rcordd hr, 21 ar ndmic spcis.

SagarmathaNational Park

(1,148 km2) and Bur Zon (275 km2)

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Th park is hom to th Rd panda, snow lopard,

Musk dr, Himalayan tahr, martn, Himalayan

mous har (pika) and ovr 208 spcis o birds

including th Impyan phasant, snow cock,

Blood phasant, Rd billd cough, lammrgyr

tc. Th currnt aunal chcklists includ 33

mammals, 5 hrpto and 1 spcis o fsh.

Aras o IntrstAlong with th highst pak, Sagarmatha, th

park ors incrdibl viws o Himalayan paks

such as Lhots (8,516m), Cho Oyu (8,201m),

Thamsrku (6,623m), Nupts (7,861m),

Amadablam (6,812m) ,Pumori (7,161m) and

Island pak(6,189m). Vibrant with th sounds

o rivrs and th wind, aturs lik laks,

glacirs, orsts and pasturs ar msmrizing

From Namch Bazar to Kala Pathar

From Destination Hours Altitude

Namch Bazar (3,440m) Tngboch 4-5 3,800m

Tngboch Pangboch 3-4 3,920m

Pangboch Dingboch/Phrich 3-4 4,360m

Dingboch/Phrich Lobuch 4-5 4,930m

Lobuch Kalapatthar 5-6 5,554m

Kalapatthar Bas Camp 7-8 5,360m

Namch Bazar to Gokyo Pak

From Destination Hours Altitude

Namch Bazar (3440m) Khumjung/Khund 2-3 3,780m

Khumjung/Khund Dol 5-6 4,090m

Dol Machrma 3-4 4,410m

Machrma Gokyo 4-5 4,750m

Gokyo Gokyo Pak 3-4 5,357m

Gokyo Pak Thaknak 3-4 4,690mThaknak Phorts 5-6 3,850m

Phorts Pangboch 2-3 3,920m

Pangboch Namch 7-8 3,440m

and thrilling. Ovr 60 sttlmnts add a human

dimnsion to th park.

Trkking within th park in th alpin aras is

a thrilling xprinc. Th trk rom Namch

to Kala Pathar is on o th most popular. Th

Gokyo Lak and Chukung vallys also prsnt

spctacular viws to th trkkr. Th Tham

Vally is popular or Shrpa cultur whil Phorts

is amous or wildli viwing. Thr ar som

high passs worth crossing.

Th park is also known or Trkking Paks

that or hobby climbrs an opportunity to

climb a Himalayan summit and xprinc th

whit wildrnss. Most o ths trips can b

compltd within a short priod o tim.

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Th amous Tngboch and othr monastris

(Tham, Khumjung and Pangboch) ar

common gathring grounds or spctacular

stivals lik Dumj and Mani Rimdu. Th

community activitis includ ngawasystm,

garbag managmnt, microhydro powr, trail

maintnanc, tr plantation, orst nursry,

school co clubs tc.

Inormation cntrs and musums stablishd

at Namch and Lukla ar vry inormativ

or visitors. Howvr, basic inormation can

also b garnrd rom knowldgabl Lodg

ownrs.

ActivitisDpnding upon th lvl o advntur and

intrsts, visitors can go or trks, climbing,

natur hiks, bird watching, villag walks and

attnd cultural programs tc.

Mountain ights to this rgion ar rgularly

opratd rom Kathmandu.

AccssTh most convnint way to rach th park is by

ying to Lukla and walk or two days to rach

Namch (Park Hadquartrs). Thr ar svral

ights a day rom Kathmandu to Lukla. Th Phaplu

airport is a 5-day trk rom Namch, and th

Tumlingtar airport is a 10-day trk rom Namch.

Anothr popular approach to th park is via Jiri

(th old rout takn by Tnzing and Hillary to Mt.

evrst) rom whr it is a 10-day trk to Namch.

Jiri is an 8-hour bus rid rom Kathmandu.

Basic FacilitisThr ar svral hotls, lodgs and tashops

along th trkking routs to Namch and byond.

Choics dpnd upon th lvl o srvics and

acilitis dsird.

Rnting o fld gar is availabl or th portrs at Lukla.

Mdical advic could b sought rom Kund

Hospital or Phrich Halth Post.

Thr ar cybr cas at Namch or communication.

In th alpin zon, visitors must b sl-

sufcint in tnts, ood, ul and all othrsupplis including frst-aid kits.

For Furthr InormationSagarmatha National Park Ofc,

Namch Bazar, Solukhumbu.

Tl: 977 (38) 540114

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Th park has bn proposd

or a World Hritag Sit or

its uniqu trans-Himalayan

ora and auna and th

ancint Bonpo cultur.

BackgroundTh Shy-Phoksundo National Park, lying in th Trans-

Himalayan rgion, is th largst national park in th

country. Th Phoksundo Lak, a major landmark,

drains out in th orm o a watrall that rcts

sunlight and throws rainbow colors. It is amous

or sightings o snow lopards and thir pry, th

blu shp, as wll as musk dr and othr mountain

spcis. It is a storhous o alpin mdicinal hrbs

including Yarsa Gumba.

Th park has bn proposd or a World Hritag Sit

or its uniqu trans-Himalayan ora and auna and thancint Bonpo cultur.

ClimatMost o th prcipitation occurs during th monsoon

(July-Sptmbr), although th Dhaulagari and

Kanjiroba Himals orm a rain shadow. Th annual

prcipitation varis rom 1,500 mm in th south

(Suligad) to 500mm in th arid northrn slops.

Wintrs ar quit svr, with rqunt snowalls abov

2,500m and tmpraturs rmain blow rzing at thaltituds abov 3,000m through much o th wintr.

Th bst tim to visit th park is in spring-summr

rom April through Sptmbr.

Flora and FaunaTh park contains 21 typs o cosystms composd

o trs lik cyprss, cdar, spruc and Blu pins in

th lowr blt, and that o Mountain oak, fr, birch,

junipr, Blu pin and rhododndron to Caragana

steppesand alpin scrubs in th uppr blt. Thr

ar hundrds o plant spcis o high thno-

botanical importanc.

Shey-PhoksundoNational Park(3,555 km2) and Bur Zon (1,349 km2)

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Th park is hom to 35 spcis o mammals, 208

spcis o birds and 3 hrpto. Th symbolic

mammal spcis ar Snow lopard, Blu shp,

Musk dr, Wild dog and Tibtan wol. Bird

spcis includ Himalayan grion, Whit

brastd dpr, monal phasant, chr phasant

tc. It is hom to 29 spcis o buttris,

including th highst ying buttry in th

world, Paralasa nepalaica.

Aras o IntrstTh lak Phoksundo (maning a conunc

o thr rivrs) is amous or its magnifcnt

turquois color and th spctacular scnry

and is clarly on o th most scnic mountain

viws in th world. Many bautiul glacirs can

b ound nar and abov th lak. Th Tibtan

villag o Ringmo is scnically nstld in th lak

ara. Th Pal Sntan Tsoling Gompa bsid th

lak was built about 900 yars ago to combat

wildli poaching.

Th nam o th park is drivd rom th amous

monastry Shy (maning Crystal Mountain)

which was stablishd in th 11th cntury. Th

park has hundrds o Gompas (Monastris).

With 9,000 popl rsiding hr, th park has

th distinction o having th highst sttlmnts

on arth. Most o th popl ollow Bonpo.

Thy liv o agricultur and trad with Tibt.

Th amous salt trad caravans pass through thpark.

Individual trkkrs ar prmittd to do a trk

to Ringmo or Phoksundo Lak but th Tran-

Himalayan rgion o innr Dolpa, byond th

lak, is rstrictd to group trkking only.

Most trails ar quit rocky and ragil, hnc

pron to rock alls. Passrs-by ar advisd

to watch or alling rocks and should mov

cautiously but quickly.

Th community hr is knowldgabl spcially

on thno-botany. Th traditional Tibtan

halrs, Amchisar still practicing thir crat

and us mdicinal hrbs. Popl practic

transhumanc systm o grazing which kps

thm away rom hom or long priods o tim.





or trks, climbing, natur hiks, bird watching,

villag walks, pony rids or attnd culturalprograms tc.

AccssTh asist way to rach th park is by air to

th Juphal airstrip in Dolpa rom Npalgunj and

thn do a hal-day trk to th park ntranc

at Suligad. Thr ar occasional ights to

Pokhara rom this airport. Hlicoptrs and

small airplans can also b chartrd to rach

th ara.

Its a thr-day journy to th Park Hadquartrs

rom th Suligad ntranc. Howvr, thr ar

also othr routs to ntr th park. Visitors can

ollow th trad routs rom Jumla in th wst or

approach rom Jomsom urthr north-ast.

Basic FacilitisAccommodation is availabl in Dunai, Sangta,

Chhpka and Ringmo. Campsits with rubbishpits, toilts, and shltrs ar availabl

throughout th park. Trkkrs lodgs can b

ound in Dunai, Chhpka, and Ringmo whr ood

and limitd supplis ar providd. Park ofcs

ar locatd at Suligad, Chhpka, Palam Ringmo

and Toijm. At th hadquartrs in Palam thr

is a small visitors cntr. For long trks, visitors

must bring thir own tnts, ood, ul and all

othr supplis including frst-aid kits.

For Furthr InormationShy Phoksundo National Park Ofc,

Palam, Dolpa.

Tl: 977 (87) 550104

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This national park is th only

walld park in th country,

surroundd by an 111 km long

brick wall. Thr ar two villags

namly Mulkharka and Okhrni in

th vicinity o th park.

BackgroundTh Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, situatd on th

northrn ring o Kathmandu vally, is th narst

park (12 km) rom th capital city. It is th major

catchmnt ara o th Bagmati and Bishnumatirivrs that ow through th Kathmandu vally. Th

catchmnts ar th main sourcs o drinking watr or

Kathmandu Vally providing almost 40% o th watr

supply which amounts to about 30 million litrs o

watr a day. Th highst point is th Shivapuri pak

(2,732m).

This national park is th only walld park in th

country, surroundd by an 111 km long brick wall.

Thr ar two villags namly Mulkharka and Okhrni inth vicinity o th park.

Shivapuri Nagarjun

National Park(159 km2)

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ClimatTh park has sub-tropical to warm tmprat

climat and th variations in tmpratur

and prcipitation is quit high. Th wathr

station at Kakani has rcordd th maximumavrag tmpratur o 22.7 C in May-Jun

and th minimum avrag tmpratur 0.30

C in Dcmbr-January. Th man annual

prcipitation was 2,727mm mostly occurring

during th monsoon priod (Jun-Sptmbr).

Th park can b visitd throughout th yar.

Flora and FaunaTh park lis in a transition zon btwn sub-

tropical and tmprat climats. It houss fv

orst cosystms containing th Mountain oak,

Collinan oak, Schima wallichii, Castanopsis

indicaand Pinus roxburghii. O th 449 vascular

plant spcis rcordd in th park, 16 ar

ndmic.

Th symbolic mammal spcis ound in th park

ar lopard, Wild boar, Himalayan Black bar

among th 19 spcis rcordd. Among th 311bird spcis, 227 ar rsidnts, 48 ar migrants

and 36 ar both rsidnts and migrants. Th

symbolic spcis ar Slndr billd scimitar

babblr, Whit-gorgttd Flycatchr, Barrd

Cuckoo dov and Goldn-throatd barbt.

Aras o IntrstTh park is idal or outdoor activitis and

many local stivals ar clbratd hr. On th

Npals Nw Yars Day in mid-April, pilgrimsock to Baghdwar and Bishnudwar. Th othr

popular shrins ar: Bajrayogini, Manichud,

Budhanilkantha and Nagi gomba. Panoramic

viws o th snow-cappd mountains and th

wid Kathmandu vally ar nchanting.

Th park ors xciting dstinations or trkking.

Som o th popular trks ar:

Panimuhan, Park HQ - Shivapuri pak (12 km)

Nagigumba - Baghdwar - Chisapani (18 km) Nagigomba - Shivapuri Nagarjun pak (6 km)

Kakani - Shivapuri nagarjun

Jhul - Chisapani (12 km)

Sundarijal - Chisapani (22km)

Trkking routs to Nagarkot, Gosaikunda,

Hlambu and Langtang National Park also passthrough th park. Svral rligious sits or

Hindus and Buddhists li within th park.

Thr ar svral sits within th park whr

plant succssion can b studid. Various spcis

including rhododndrons hav bn introducd

and community plantation, soil consrvation and

othr consrvation activitis ar worth obsrving.

Th park is xcllnt or bird watchingthroughout th yar.




lvl o advntur and intrsts, visitors can

go or trks, natur hiks, mountain biking,

wildli/bird watching, villag walks tc.

AccssTh park is asily accssibl rom Kathmandu.

Thr ar our major routs lading to th park

rom th city cntr through: Budhanilkantha,

Kakani, Sundarijal and Tokha.

Th park hadquartrs at Panimuhan is just

svn kilomtrs north o th citys Ring Road.

Bsids th hadquartrs, th park can also bntrd through Sundarijal, Tokha, Kakani, Jhul

or Chisapani.Thr is a 95 kilomtr gravl road

and an 83 kilomtr walking trail suitabl or

trkking and villag walks.

Basic FacilitisThr ar hotls and rstaurants nar th park.

For Furthr Inormation

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park Ofc,Panimuhan, Kathmandu.

Tl: 977 1 4374830; 977 1 4370355

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WILDLIFeReSeRVeS

42


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KoshitappuWildlife Reserve

Th Sapta Koshi (unifcation o

svn rivrs by th hrmitag o

Kaushik) is a major tributary o

th rivr Gangs. It was dclard

a Ramsar Sit on Dcmbr 17,

1987 and is th frst on in

Npal. Th rsrv supports mor

than 20,000 watrowls.

BackgroundTh Koshitappu Wildli Rsrv lis in th south-

astrn lowlands (tarai) o Npal and is composd o

th alluvial oodplains o th Sapta Koshi Rivr. Th

landscap includs grasslands, orsts as wll as th

mbankmnts and spurs on ithr sid o th rivr. By

1979, about 12,000 popl wr vacuatd rom th

rsrv.

Th Sapta Koshi (unifcation o svn rivrs by th

hrmitag o Kaushik) is a major tributary o th rivr

Gangs. It was dclard a Ramsar Sit on Dcmbr

17, 1987 and is th frst on in Npal. Th rsrv

supports mor than 20,000 watrowls.

ClimatTh rsrv njoys thr distinct sasons. Summr

(Fbruary through May) is intnsly hot with minimum

prcipitation. Tmpraturs in th shad can rach40C. Th monsoon starts in lat May or arly Jun

and lasts until Sptmbr, bringing havy, rqunt

rainall. Wintr (Octobr through January) is th bst

tim to visit and is charactrizd by clar blu skis

and modrat tmpratur, but can still gt quit cold

at night.


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Flora and FaunaWith vgtation mainly composd o tallgrasslands, th rsrv is a storhous o 514

spcis o ora including trs lik sissoo, silk

cotton trs, sal, khair, palash, and grasss such

as Saccharumspcis, Phragmitesspcis,

Typhaspcis, Imperataspcis tc. Th aquatic

plants includ watr hyacinth, Hydrillaspcis,

Azollaspcis and Lotusspcis.

Th rsrv is hom to 485 spcis o birds o

which 12 spcis ar globally thratnd. Th

notabl ons ar watrcock, Indian nightjar,

Dusky eagl owl, Black-hadd Cuckoo shrik,

Whit-taild stonchat, Straitd grassbird, Larg

Adjutant stork, Pallass Fish agl, Common

Goldn-y and Gull-billd trn. Thr ar at

last 114 spcis o watr birds, 176 spcis

brd in th rsrv and 180 spcis ar passag

migrant or wintr visitors. It is th only ara in

Npal whr th watrcock and Abbotts babblr

ar ound.

Th rsrv is inhabitd by 31 mammalian

spcis, 45 amphibians/rptils and 200 fsh

spcis (91 rsidnts, 26 migratory). Npals

last rmaining population o wild watr bualo

(Arna) inhabits th oodplain, and th criticallyndangrd Gangtic dolphin is ound in th

watrs o th Koshi rivr. Som o th othr

mammals within th park ar: wild lphant,

wild boar, dr, ottr and jackal.

Aras o IntrstTh rsrv is an xtrmly important rsting-

plac or migratory birds and many spcis

ar sn nowhr ls in Npal. Migration o

birds starts in lat Dcmbr and rachs a

pak btwn mid-Fbruary and mid-March. Th

numbr o migratory birds xcds 50,000 o

which watrowl and common pintail ar notabl.

Th Arnas ar a spcial attraction o this ara

and thy can b sn during a walk, lphant

rid or whil driving. Domstic bualos

somtims mingl with th Arnas in th grazing

aras. Hrdrs bliv that thir livstock canb mor productiv by cross-brding with th

wild prognitor.

Th rsrv is a natural corridor or wild lphants

which mov up rom Wst Bngal, India. Dolphins

can also b sn in th Koshi rivr.

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Th rivr is rmarkably bautiul spcially atsunris and sunst. Th clar skis allow or

bautiul sights o svral Himalayan paks

including Makalu (8,463m), th worlds fth

highst pak.

Th rsrv dmonstrats dynamics o cological

succssion o plants du to shiting o th

Koshi rivr, and impacts o human activitis lik

burning and grazing.

Local villagrs ar prmittd to collct grass

rom th park onc a yar or thir houshold

us. Larg boats rrying popl and grass loads

on th rivr ar a wondrul sight.

Community activitis lik orstry, biogas,

fsh ponds, co clubs, traditional danc, and

wkly markts (Hatbazaar) ar worth visiting.

A visitor inormation cntr at th rsrvhadquartrs provids dtails o th ara.




lvl o advntur and intrsts, visitors cango or lphant rid, jungl driv, boating,

natur walk, bird watching, villag walk, cultural

program tc.

AccssThr ar daily buss availabl rom Kathmandu

to Kakarbhitta and Biratnagar. Th narst bus

stop is at Jamuha, 4 km rom Laukhi. On can

rach th Rsrv Hadquartrs at Kusaha (2.5

kilomtr rom Jamuha) by rickshaw.

Th narst airport is in Biratnagar whr

svral daily ights ar availabl or Kathmandu.

Biratnagar is 57 km rom Kusaha.

Basic FacilitisThr ar a w lodgs and tashops around

Kusaha. Bttr accommodation can b ound

in Biratnagar, Dharan and othr towns narth rsrv.

For Furthr InormationKoshitappu Wildli Rsrv Ofc

Kusaha, Sunsari

Tl: 977 (25) 530897; 977 (25) 620667

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ParsaWildlife Reserve

Th Parsa Wildli Rsrv,situatd in th southrn cntral

lowlands o Npal, compriss

th Siwalik rang, gullis, dry

strambds, and vry porous

oothills. Namd atr th 18th

cntury Parasnath Monastry, it is

contiguous to Chitwan, and orms

th astrn componnt o th

Tarai Arc Landscap.

BackgroundTh Parsa Wildli Rsrv, situatd in th southrn

cntral lowlands o Npal, compriss th Siwalik rang,

gullis, dry strambds, and vry porous oothills.

Namd atr th 18th cntury Parasnath Monastry,

it is contiguous to Chitwan, and orms th astrn

componnt o th Tarai Arc Landscap.

ClimatWintr (Octobr-Dcmbr) provids plasant

tmpraturs with clar skis. Night tim tmpraturs

can drop to 0C. During spring (January-March)

tmpraturs ris and watr bcoms scarc. During

(499 km2) and Bur Zon (298.2 km2)

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summr (April-Jun) th days bcom hotand humid with tmpraturs raching 40C.

Monsoon (July-Sptmbr) brings cooling rains.

Th bst tim to visit is rom Octobr through

March.

Flora and FaunaTh rsrv is a storhous o narly 300

vascular plants and th dominant trs ar sal

(90 prcnt o th rsrvs vgtation), and

pins in th slops.

Th rsrv is hom to 37 spcis o mammals,

503 bird spcis, 13 typs o rptils/

amphibians, and 8 spcis o fsh. It supports a

larg population o wildli including lphants,

tigrs, sloth bar, lopards, blu bull tc.

Symbolic bird spcis ar Crow-billd drongo,

Thick-billd grn pigon, Long-taild Broadbill,and Rd jungl owl. Spcis lik Whit brastd

kingfshr, Paradis ycatchr, Larg racqut-

taild drongo, Goldn backd woodpckr, tc

ar commonly sightd. Giant hornbill, on o th

ndangrd bird spcis is ound in som orst

patchs. Th rsrv is also amous or rptils

and th many kinds o snaks ound hr includ

th Common cobra, Common and Bandd krait,

python and King cobra.

Aras o IntrstWildli watching is th major attraction

in th rsrv. Nar th hadquartrs is a

machan (viw towr) that provids xcllnt

opportunitis to catch glimpss o many

birds, dr and lopard as wll as wild

lphants.

Th rligious sit o Kailas Bhata (about 30 km

rom Adabhar) is prchd on a hill rom whrlush orsts o th Tarai can b sn.

An lphant stabl known as Hattisar ismaintaind at Amlkhgunj, about 5 km north o

th rsrv hadquartrs.

Inormation can b gathrd rom th rsrv

hadquartrs at Adhabar.


visitors can participat in a varity o activitis in

and around th park. Dpnding upon th lvl

o advntur and intrsts, visitors can njoy

lphant rids, jungl drivs, natur walks, bird

watching, villag walks, cultural programs tc.

AccssTh rsrv is asily accssibl by road. Th main

ntranc to th rsrv is at Adabhar along th main

highway btwn Kathmandu - Htauda Birgunj.

Simara Airport, only ight kilomtr rom Adhabar,is srvd by rgular daily ights to and rom

Kathmandu. Th ight tim is only 20 minuts.

Th rsrv can also b approachd via Mahadv

Khola post, Charbhaiya post, Gaduwalin post,

Nirmalbasti post, and Amlkhgunj post, locatd

at th boundary o th rsrv. Th rsrv is

accssibl rom th southrn sction through

a ntwork o gravl roads, xcpt during

monsoonal ood.

Basic FacilitisThr is a small our-room gusthous at Adhabar.

A local tahous provids simpl Npali ood. In

Htauda and Birgunj howvr, thr ar a rang o

hotls and lodgs to chos rom.

For mor inormation:Parsa Wildli Rsrv Ofc,

Adhabar, Parsa.Tl: 977 53 521051

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ShuklaphantaWildlife Reserve

Th Shuklaphanta WildliRsrv locatd in th south-

wstrn cornr o Npal, occupis

th largst grassland in th

lowland Tarai. Along with th

Shuklaphanta (dazzling, rsh

and opn grassland), th rsrv

consists o orsts, rivrbds and

wtlands (such as Ranital).

BackgroundTh Shuklaphanta Wildli Rsrv locatd in thsouth-wstrn cornr o Npal, occupis th largst

grassland in th lowland Tarai. Along with th

Shuklaphanta (dazzling, rsh and opn grassland),

th rsrv consists o orsts, rivrbds and wtlands

(such as Ranital).

ClimatTh rsrv xprincs our dirnt sasons namly

spring, summr, monsoon and wintr. In th spring(Fbruary-March), th man minimum tmpratur is

17c and 26C in th summr (April-May). Ovr 90%

o th annual prcipitation alls during th monsoon

btwn Jun and Sptmbr. Man maximum

tmpraturs ar 40-42C in summr (April-May),

whn hot wstrly winds blast th rgion. Th wintr

(Dcmbr-January) is airly cold and misty with

occasional rost with man minimum tmpraturs

varying rom 10 to 12C. In Fbruary and March, th

maximum tmpratur riss up to 22 to 25C. Th

bst tim to visit is rom Octobr through March.

Flora and FaunaTh major vgtation typs ar th Chir pin orst and

th Hill sal orst in th north, and th sal and Mixd

Broadlavd orst in th south. It is a storhous o

som 553 vascular plants including tr spcis lik

sal, Vijaya sal, khair, sissoo and th grass spcis

lik Phragmites karka, Saccharum spontaneumandSclerostachya fusca.

Th rsrv is hom to 46 spcis o mammals, 351

spcis o birds, 7 hrpto (amphibians and rptils)

(305 km2) and Bur Zon (243.5 km2)

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and 28 typs o fsh. Th rsrv is amous ormagnifcnt spcis lik Royal Bngal tgr, and

Asiatic lphant, and th Hispid har. Among

th birds, th Bngal orican, Black-cappd

kingfshr, Finns wavr tc ar notworthy.

Aras o IntrstWatching hrds o hundrds o swamp dr in

th Shuklaphanta grassland can b nchanting.

Th Ranital and othr wtlands ar vibrant aras

whr numrous birds and also mammals can

b sn. Th park is hom to fv rhinocros o

which our wr translocatd rom Chitwan. An

lphant stabl nar th rsrv hadquartrs at

Majhgaon ors valuabl insights or visitors.

Chancs o ncountring a tigr within th

rsrv is quit high givn th act that thr

ar about 18-22 brding adult tigrs insid an

ara which is not vry big. Monitoring o tigrsand othr wildli spcis is carrid out using

camra-traps and othr mthods.

Th local villagrs ar allowd to collct grass

rom th rsrv at th nd o January bcaus

at this tim th tall grass is cut and som

grassland st on fr. Th burning grassland is by

itsl a ascinating spctacl, but atr th burning

visitors hav bttr chancs o viwing wildli.

In th bur zon, th local community carris

out consrvation activitis such as orstry,

biogas production and school co clubs. Visitors

also hav th opportunity to obsrv localstivals, and traditional dancs tc.





or lphant rids, jungl drivs, natur walks, bird

watching, villag walks, cultural programs tc.

AccssThr ar rgular public buss to Mahndranagar

rom Kathmandu and othr parts o th country.

Th journy by road taks about 20 hours rom

Kathmandu. Mahndranagar is about ight kilomtrs

rom th Rsrv Hadquartrs at Majhgaon.

A convnint way to rach th park is via

Dhangadi which is srvd by rgular ightsrom Kathmandu. Public buss tak about thr

hours rom Dhangadi to Mahndranagar. Privat

vhicls can also b hird. Visitors can also

rach th rsrv via Tanakpur, India.

Basic FacilitisBttr accommodations with basic acilitis ar

availabl at Mahndranagar.

For mor inormation:Shuklaphanta Wildli Rsrv Ofc,Majhgaon, Kanchanpur.

Tl: 977 (99) 521309

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DhorpatanHunting Reserve

Th Dhorpatan Hunting Rsrv

adjoins Rukum, Myagdi and

Baglung districts in Wst Npal.

establishd in 1987 as th only

hunting rsrv, its northrn

boundary xtnds to th

rangs o Putha, Churn and

Gurja Himal. Its landscaps ar

charactrizd by Dhor (marshland)

and Patans (moorland) abov thtr lin (4000 m).

BackgroundTh Dhorpatan Hunting Rsrv adjoins Rukum, Myagdi

and Baglung districts in Wst Npal. establishd

in 1987 as th only hunting rsrv, its northrn

boundary xtnds to th rangs o Putha, Churn and

Gurja Himal. Its landscaps ar charactrizd by Dhor

(marshland) and Patans (moorland) abov th tr lin

(4000 m).

Th Dpartmnt o National Parks and WildliConsrvation in Kathmandu issus hunting licnss.

ClimatTh monsoon lasts until th bginning o Octobr. Day

tim tmpraturs ar vry low during wintr du to

strong winds. Highr lvations rmain covrd with

cloud in th morning; latr clouds ar clard by th

wind. Snow may occur vn at low lvations until

arly April. Howvr, it soon mlts. Th bst tim to

visit th rsrv is in March-April.

Flora and FaunaTh rsrv compriss 14 typs o orst cosystms

which ar charactrizd by Chir pin, walnut, mapl,

aldr, oak, junipr, fr and rhododndrons. Highr

altituds ar charactrizd by alpin scrubs.

Th rsrv srvs as a prim habitat or blu shp,

a highly covtd trophy. O th 18 mammal spcisrcordd, th commonly ound spcis ar lopard,

(1,325 km2)

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goral, srow, Himalayan tahr, Himalayan

black bar, barking dr, wild boar, rhsus

macaqu, langur and Mous har. Similarly, o

th 137 spcis o birds rcordd, phasants

and partridg ar common and thir viabl

population in th rsrv prmits controlld

hunting. Musk dr, wol, Rd panda,

Chr phasant and Danph ar nlistd as

ndangrd spcis and hunting thm isbannd in Npal.

Aras o IntrstDhorbaraha, a Hindu shrin on th banks o

Uttarganga Rivr nar Dhorpatan, is in th

Fagun block. evry yar on th day o Janai

Purnima in August, a rligious air is hld hr

which many local dvots attnd.

Th rsrv is dividd into six hunting blocks.Th magnifcnt viw o Dhaulagiri Himal rom

Bars, Dogari and Gustung blocks is rmarkabl.

Th Sng and Sundaha blocks ar rich in

wildli.

Th rsrv is surroundd by villags inhabitd

prdominantly by Magar, Thakali and Gurung

communitis and nar th rsrv hadquartrs

is th Tibtan rug camp. Local popl

practic transhumanc systm o livstock

raring and thy ar on th mov rom Fbruary

till Octobr. Mor than 80,000 livstock ntr

th rsrv or grazing.

ActivitisWith

nepal natural treasures of nepal

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