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Wildlife

Nepal is home to more than 800 species of birds, 80 species of mammals including 30 fawns, not to mention several hundred species of butterflies and insects . Some of these species are emblematic of the country, but they are generally endangered species, victims of poaching and the reduction of their living space. They can be seen in the national parks: the Royal Bardia National Park

(Chitwan, western end of the Terai) is home to the tiger, leopard, unicorn rhino and lippu bear.

The solitary Royal Bengal tiger is difficult to see. Some lucky ones may be able to see it in Chitwan National Park at nightfall. Now carefully protected, it is at the top of the food chain. In the national parks, it has enough space to support its natural reproduction. The unicorn rhino is the other great pride of the park. It is the most imposing of the three Asian rhinos. Unfortunately, the species is still at the mercy of poachers who sell its horn to the Chinese for a high price. However, its population has been increasing slowly but steadily since 2005. There are now about 600 in this park and a few smaller groups in other parks. The spotted leopard is also a powerful predator. It preys on local livestock and occasionally on humans. The lippu bear is a local, heavy, powerful and hairy species. It has poor eyesight and uses its fearsome claws to search termite mounds for food. Two native species of crocodiles live together in the Terai: the gharial is an endangered species, and the gharial is an animal that lives in rivers. Piscivorous, it has a long and thin jaw. Its distant local cousin is the swamp crocodile, which is more massive and lives rather in stagnant waters. It is omnivorous and attacks anything that comes within its range, including humans. The Asian elephant lives in the wild in the western part of the Terai, but many domesticated elephants are clearly visible around the national parks where they work. They are treated better today than in the past. Macaque monkeys, the wild buffalo, also frequent the lowlands of the Terai and are visible in Chitwan and Bardia. The freshwater dolphins that once populated the rivers are becoming increasingly rare, there are only about fifty of them left in Nepal. It is quite exceptional to come across cobra, viper and bungare that live in the Terai.

The wooded hills are home to wild gaurs or buffaloes, much more massive in appearance than the domestic buffaloes present in most villages; they descend into the plain in spring. Bears, wild boars, jackals and panthers, fleeing the presence of the tiger, still inhabit the central hills of Nepal, some even venturing to the outskirts of the most populated areas. Another fauna populates the high altitudes: deer, wild boar, antelopes, bears, Himalayan goats (thar), red pandas, Himalayan wolves, foxes, etc.. The snow leopard and the red panda prefer the altitude and are very discreet. On the other hand, the langurs or entelles, great grey monkeys with a black face are easily spotted. The rhesus macaque is the most common species. No need to go very far to meet it, just visit the stupa of Swayambunath (Monkey Temple), in the valley of Kathmandu, where the facetious macaques have taken up residence.

The flora

Whether tropical or temperate, or alpine, the climatic zones that define Nepal are home to a wide variety of ecosystems. For example, species typical of Europe rub shoulders with those of northern Asia, India or South-East Asia. More than 6,500 species of trees and flowers have been recorded. Today largely cleared, the Terai was originally a large forest where acacias and sal forest(Shorea robusta) predominated, whose very hard wood was used for the construction of monuments in the Kathmandu valley. Banians and pipals, bamboos, magnolias, oaks, laurels, chestnuts, maples and subtropical conifers - the list is long. The country's extraordinary topography offers a floral panel that is just as much so. But the most characteristic tree of Nepal is undoubtedly the rhododendron (30 species!). Reaching up to 18 m in height, this tree is the joy of trekkers from April, between 2 500 m and 4 000 m in altitude, during the flowering season. The mimosas that crown the heights of Dorpatan, south of Dhaulaugiri, mark the invisible border between the more humid east of Nepal and the continental climate of the west. At a higher altitude, conifers appear: blue pines, larches, and deodars or cedars of the gods. Rhododendrons become shrubby, edelweiss grows in the grasslands, and mosses announce the limit of snow. Beyond the Himalayan range, the landscape becomes mineral and only junipers manage to cling to the mountainside. Nothing grows in the Dolpo, and it will come as no surprise to see the young hero of the film Himalayas looking for a tree.

National Parks

Eight national parks and four large nature reserves cover nearly 19% of the country's land area. From the jungles of the Terai to the Himalayan peaks, these protected areas consist of ecosystems that are unique in the world. One of the ways to preserve these parks is through the introduction of entrance fees. Indeed, most travelers visit at least one protected area during their stay. Annapurna Conservation Area is located in the central western part of the country. The Annapurna Reserve is the most visited trekking area in the country. The altitude varies between 790 and 8,000 meters. Waterfalls, mountains and traditional village crossings. 1,200 plants including 40 orchids and 9 species of rhododendrons, the national flower. The park is home to about a hundred mammals, including the very rare snow leopard. Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve is the only hunting area in the country, located in the central west, towards Rukum, Myagdi and Baglung district. Kanchenjunga Conservation Area offers varied landscapes and climate ranging from temperate to subtropical as well as many varieties of rhododendrons over an area of 2,035 km2. Kanchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world. Khaptad National Park is located in the western region of Nepal. Khaptad is an important religious area with Khaptad Swami centres and ashram. The Royal Chitwan National Park is one of the finest examples of conservation. Chitwan National Park has therefore become a popular place to visit. 43 species of mammals have been recorded in the park, including rhinos, tigers... and 540 species of birds. Koshi Tappu Wild Reserve was opened in 1976 in eastern Nepal to preserve the wild buffalo population. It is a park 10 km long and 10 km wide, extending to the Indian border along the Sapta Koshi River. Royal Sukla Phant Wildlife Reserve, located in the west of Nepal, in the Kanchanpur district, this park has long been reserved for hunting. The landscape consists of floodplains and grasslands. Langtang National Park is nestled in the middle of the Himalayas, it is the closest park to Kathmandu: exploration of villages, monasteries and glaciers, but also a paradise for ornithologists, the park is on an important migratory route between India and Tibet. Sagarmatha National Parkcovers an area of 1,148 km2 in the Khumbu region. The park is home to the highest peak in the world: Mount Sagarmatha, better known as Everest (8,848 m). But also Cho Oyu, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Thamerku, Kwangde, Kangtaiga and Gyachyung Kang. The Makalu Barun National Park is located in the east of the country, on the edge of Sagamatha and is home to Mount Makalu, the fifth highest peak in the world. With its 2,330 km2, this reserve is an important component of the Himalayan ecosystem. More than 32,000 people of various ethnicities live in the area. Shey-Phoksundo National Park is nestled in the mountains in the west of the country, it runs through the Dolpa and Mugu districts. The creation of this park responds to the objective of preserving the unique trans-Himalayan ecosystem and a fauna and flora typical of the Tibetan region. The Parsa Wildlife Reserveencompasses the lands of four districts in the central part of the country: Chitwan, Makwanpur, Parsa and Bara. Sal forest, wild elephants and many birds. Shivapuri Water Shed Conservation Area is very close to Kathmandu, north of the valley, the reserve is home to many species of birds and butterflies. Ideal for a bike ride. And finally Rara National Park is located in the north-west of the country, 370 km from Kathmandu as the crow flies, this national park is the smallest reserve, but is home to the largest lake in the country. The lake is its main attraction. Observation of migratory birds in winter.