Introduction

Nepal is a blend of nature and human efforts. That is why it has around 18 percent of its land as protected area - either known as national parks, conservation areas or wildlife reserves.

Eight national parks, four wildlife reserves, three conservation areas and a hunting reserve, just within the area of 147,181 square kilometers of the Kingdom. It is not just the land coverage, equally fascinating is the rich diversity of ecosystem in these protected areas. These conserved areas range from the plain land of the Terai, at some places only 150 meters from the sea level, to as high as the highest point on earth 8,848 meters (Mount Everest). The lowlands with sub-tropical jungles to arctic conditions in the Himalayan Highlands engulf virtually all topography and climate zones found on Planet Earth. That means within these varied ecologies, you will get to see the rich varieties of flora and fauna. The real good news for the visitors is that it is this multiplicity of topography, climate and ecosystem that host the different protected areas across the country. In other words, you will find the conserved areas in all three Nepalese geographical regions: - the Terai, Hills, and the Himalayan region. 

A perfect setting for four conserved areas one of them being the most visited Royal Chitwan National Park. This is the home to the endangered one‑homed rhinos and the rare Royal Bengal Tiger. Rare species apart, the national parks in the lowland also boast of varieties of flora and fauna justifying the success stories of conservation.

To the immediate north of these plain lands are the Churia, also known as Siwalik, ranges. The southern‑most range of the Himalayas, the height of Churia is limited to 1,220 meters. This range is famous for fossil deposits of Pleistocene mammals including 10 species of elephants, six rhinoceros, hippopotamus, sabre‑toothed cats, various antelopes and primates such as the orangtun, long extinct in the subcontinent.Situated north of the Churia are broad, low valleys of the inner Terai known as Doons. These valleys are not unlike the outer plains with tall elephant grass, swamps, and ox‑bow lakes where the last of the one‑homed rhinos survive.

Higher in the north between 2,000 and 3,500 metres lies the Mahabharata Range with its oak‑crowned crests. The hills of this midland are covered by a moist temperate forest of deodar, oak, maple and birch in which are found deer, ghoral, leopard, and monkey. The species of birds found here include multicolored Impeyan pheasant (the Nepalese national bird) and other endangered ones like koklas, and cheer pheasants. Khaptad National Park, Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve and Shivapuri wildlife Sanctuary are the protected and conservation areas in this region. Higher still, there are protected areas like the Sagarmatha National Park declared as a natural site by the UNESCO, With the towering Himalayas in the north these areas are the alpine mountain flanks inhabiting endangered species like the snow leopard. These rare species prey on blue sheep and the Himalayan Tahr. Other rarely seen animals are wolf, black and brown bears and lynx. Located in the Himalayan ambience as it is, this area is also a natural repository of the herbs worldwide renowned for their medicinal value.

Besides the natural attraction, even this remote region has on offer the cultural and ethnic varieties. The Sherpas, Managba and Dolpabas are the locals in the Himalayan foothills who still engage themselves in farming and raising livestock apart from entrepreneurship. Their festival and rituals are certainly the tourism jewels in perfect harmony with the natural beauty they have around them. In nutshell, the well‑conserved areas with the different topography across the Kingdom pave way for human to enjoy nature the way should be. They are also the living examples of how human and nature can go along. Arguably, the first success story like Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) ‑ that became possible without the deployment of armed personnel ‑ is in Nepal. The 15 protected and conserved areas across the Kingdom has indeed labeled Nepal as an eco‑tourism destination.

Seasons

Nepal's climate ranges from tropical in the lowlands to the arctic in the higher altitudes. About 90 percent of the rain falls during the monsoon, June to September. This is the season when vegetation is at its lushest. The best time to visit the high altitude Himalayan parks is between October and November. The winter months, between December and February attract large number of visitors to the lowland parks including Koshi Tappu, Parsa, Chitwan, Bardia and Shukla Phanta. This is also a good time to observe wintering birds, including wildfowls and waders. From March to May, it is warm at lower altitudes and cool above 3000 meters. This is also an ideal time to visit high altitude nature sanctuaries like Everest, Annapurna, Langtang, Rara, Khaptad, Shivapuri, Makalu‑Barun and Dhorpatan.

National Parks, Hunting Reserve and Wildlife Reserves of Nepal

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