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The Royal
Bardia National Park covers
968 sq. km./ 363 sq. mi. of
the Terai in Nepal's
far-West, and is the largest
and least-disturbed
wilderness area in the Terai.
It provides an excellent
habitat for over 30
different mammal species,
including the endangered
Royal Bengal Tiger,
One-horned Rhinoceros, Wild
Elephant, Swamp deer, and
Black buck. The Great
One-horned Rhinoceros was
successfully reintroduced to
Bardia from Chitwan in 1986.
Herds of elegant black buck
in the open grassland are a
stirring sight unique to
Bardia. Other common animals
found in the Park include
the leopard and lesser cats,
the blue bull (Nilgai),
several species of deer, the
langur and rhesus monkeys,
sloth bear, and the wild
boar. The open grasslands
within the Park, locally
known as phantas, are ideal
for game viewing.
The Karnali, one of Nepal's
largest rivers, forms the
western boundary of the
park. The endangered
Gangetic dolphin is often
seen in its waters. Other
endangered riverine species
include the fish-eating
Gharial and Marsh mugger
crocodiles. The Karnali also
offers excellent fishing for
masheer, a large freshwater
perch. Over 250 species of
birds have so far been
recorded in the Park,
including the endangered
Bengal and Lesser Floricans,
Silver-eared Mesia, and the
Sarus crane. |
