Parsa National Park

Parsa National Park

Parsa National Park was recognized as a wildlife reserve in the year 1984. In 2005, a buffer zone of 285.30 sq km was declared. An area of 128 sq km was extended in 2015 and since 2017 it has the status of a National Park. At present, it has an area of 627.39 sq km, while its altitude ranges from 435 m to 950 m in the Siwalik Hills.

Before its conversion into a protected area, the place was famous as “Char Koshe Jhadi”. Used by the ruling class as a hunting ground and by locals for settlement. The name was given due to the thickness and width of the forest. The main intention behind declaring it as a national park is to represent the dense forest of the past and conserve wildlife.

 

Location

 

Parsa National Park Map

 

Parsa National Park is situated at the inner lowland plains of the central south part of Nepal. It is spread over Chitwan, Makwanpur, Bara and Parsa districts. It has a unique geographical setting since it is covered by the Siwalik Hills. It is connected with Chitwan National Park in the west and Valmiki Tiger Reserve on India in the southwest. The Siwalik Hills and Rapti River separate the park from human settlements. Admittedly, it is linked with the Hetauda-Birgunj highway in the east.

 

Climate

 

Climate Parsa National Park

Winter (October-December) provide pleasant temperatures with clear skies. While night time temperatures can drop to 0°C. During spring (January-March) temperatures rise and water becomes scarce. During summer (April-June) the days become hot and humid with temperatures rising up to 40°C. Meanwhile, the monsoon (July-September) brings cooling rains.

 

Getting There

 

Getting there

Parsa National Park is easily accessible by road. The Kathmandu – Hetauda – Birgunj highway passes by the entrance gate. Buses are available from Kathmandu. It takes six to seven hours to get there. Alternatively, a flight to Simara takes about 15-20 minutes, from where 15 minutes drive takes you to the park headquarter.

 

Wildlife and Vegetation in Parsa National Park

 

common Karit

The park area has a subtropical monsoon climate therefore the forest is composed of tropical and subtropical forest types. Almost 90% of the forest consists of Sal trees. While Chir pine grows on the Churiya Hills, the forest of Khair and silk-cotton trees are found along the river banks. Similarly, Sabai grass, a commercially important grass species grow well in the southern face of Churiya hill.

Parsa National Park also resides a decent number of endangered animals like Royal Bengal Tigers, Wild Asian elephants, Sloth bear, and Leopard. Other species found in the park include blue bull, Sambar, Hog deer, striped hyena, jungle cat, palm civet, etc.

Also, more than 500 species of resident and migratory bird species hover around the park. Some of these birds include White-breasted kingfisher, Paradise flycatcher, large racquet-tailed drongo, Golden-backed woodpecker, etc. The giant hornbill, one of the endangered birds is also seen at times. In addition, the park is well-known for various kinds of snakes like king cobra, common cobra, python, common Karit, banded Karit, etc.

 

Tiger status in Parsa National Park

 

Royal Bengal tiger in Parsa National Park
A survey conducted in 2008 estimated four adult Bengal tigers were residing in the park. While a three months long survey conducted in 2017 discovered the existence of 19 Bengal tigers. Both these surveys were done by camera trapping. To put it briefly, the number of the tiger has been increasing in Parsa National Park.

 

Local Population at the buffer zone

 

The buffer zone of 285.30 sq km is extended over Bara, parsa, and Makwanpur districts. There are two 14,000 households and a population of 85,000 in two sub-metropolitan and three rural municipals.

 

Things to do and places to visit in Parsa National Park

 

Things to do in Parsha NP

There are temples paying homage to Hindu Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The place is a religiously important site and a natural viewpoint due to its location on a hilltop. Moreover, the view tower neat the park headquarter is a must-visit to watch birds and animals. Jungle safari and canoe ride amid this lush green forest will bring you closer to nature and wildlife. Likewise, the elephant camp at Amlekhgunj is another place worth visiting. While the village walk and Tharu culture program are the cultural attractions of the Parsa National Park.

 

Itinerary

 

Day 01 Arrive at the Resort. A reception will be hosted by the Naturalist, refreshment,  briefing about the program, visit Tharu village and back to the hotel.
Day 02 Full day Wildlife Activities inside the park including Canoe, Jungle Walk, etc and Culture program after sundown.
Day 03 Bird watching early in the morning and after breakfast head off from Parsa National Park.

 

Protected Mammals

S.N Name Scientific Name
1 Royal Bengal Tiger Panthera Tigris
2 Pangolin Manis Pantadactyla
3 Hyaena Hyaena Hyaena
4 Four-Horned Antelope Tetraceurs Quadricornis
5 Bison Bos Gaurus
6 Asian Elephant Elephas Maximus
7 One-Horned Rhino Rhinoceros Unicornis

 

Protected Birds

S.N Name Scientific Name
1 Giant Hornbill Buceros Bicornis

 

Protected Reptiles 

S.N Name Scientific Name
1 Asiatic Rock Python Python Molurus
2 Golden Monitor Lizard Varanus Flavescens

 

 

For more information: