Wildlife
Tours
The
extreme geographical diversity of Nepal has endowed
Nepal with one of its biggest treasures: a diverse wealth
of flora and fauna unlike anywhere else in the world.
The National Parks of Nepal's lowland Terai are among
the best in Asia. Comprising grasslands, sal, and riverine-forests,
they are home to an abundance of wildlife. The Royal
Bengal Tiger, the most difficult of the big cats to
observe in the wild, roams these dense jungles stalking
the sambar, chital (spotted deer), and the blackbuck.
Leopards and other lesser cats compete for prey. The
great Indian one-horned rhinoceros wallows in the swamps;
water buffalo and gaur - the largest of the world's
wild cattle - ruminate here. Other mammal species include
the sloth bear, the langur and rhesus monkeys, wild
dog and hyenas.
The
rivers flowing through these reserves are the playing
grounds of the Gangetic Dolphin, and two species of
crocodiles: the marsh mugger and the thin-snouted, fish-eating
gharial. Over 800 species of birds have been identified
in Nepal -- that is over half the total of the Indian
subcontinent and approximately a tenth of the world
total, in a country that covers a fraction of one percent
of the world's landmass! Naturally, bird watching here
is some of the finest in the world. The Giant Hornbill,
the Paradise Flycatcher, the Large Pied Kingfisher and
the Racquet-tailed Drongo are some of the more exotic
birds that can be spotted in these forests.
Bardia,
in the West Nepal, being more isolated is less crowded
than Chitwan, and is particularly known for its high
rate of tiger sighting. Chitwan on the other hand is
arguably richer in fauna, and is considered by many
naturalists to be simply the best wildlife reserve in
Asia. The Kosi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in East Nepal
covers 175 sq. km. of wetlands, and is one of Asia's
best bird sanctuaries.
Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks In Nepal :
• Royal Chitwan National Park
• Royal Bardia National Park
• Kosi Tapu Wildlife Reserve
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