National Parks of Nepal | Wildlife Reserve and Conservation Areas

How many National Parks are there in Nepal?

- 12

Which is the largest national park in Nepal?                          
- Shey Phoksundo National Park 
Which is the smallest national park in Nepal?

- Rara National Park
Which is the oldest national park in Nepal?

- Chitwan National Park
Which is the youngest national park of Nepal?

- Banke National Park
How many wildlife reserves are there in Nepal?

- 1 (Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve)
How many conservation areas are there in Nepal?

- 6
Which is the largest conservation area of Nepal?

- Annapurna Conservation Area
Which is the smallest conservation area of Nepal?

- Krishnasaar Conservation Area

Which is the oldest conservation area of Nepal?

- Annapurna Conservation Area
Which is the newest conservation area of Nepal?

- Krishnasaar Conservation Area
How many hunting reserves are there in Nepal?

- 1 (Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve)

Differences Between National Park and Wildlife Reserve

National parks are usually established to preserve the flora and fauna of the area and other things of historical and geographical importance while wildlife reserves are solely motivated to protect a particular group of flora and fauna. Human activities like agriculture and organic farming, extracting timbers or collecting fruits, berries, honey, etc. are allowed in wildlife reserves while it is not allowed in national parks. A wildlife reserve can be upgraded to a national park while vice versa is not possible. There are twelve national parks in Nepal whereas there is only one wildlife reserve.

Conservation Areas

There are six conservation areas in Nepal to protect natural ecosystems and to use natural resources sustainably. They are generally large and most of the areas are in natural conditions.

Hunting Reserve

Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve is the only hunting reserve in Nepal established with an aim of preserving a representative high altitude ecosystem in west Nepal and allow sports hunting of blue sheep and other game animals.

Ramsar Sites

These are the wetlands (having water depth less than 6m) conserved by an intergovernmental treaty, known as Ramsar Convention held in Ramsar, Iran at 1971 AD.

Basic Information on Protected Areas of Nepal

Protected Areas of Nepal comprehends twelve national parks, six conservation areas, one wildlife reserve, and a hunting reserve that covers most of the forested areas ranging from lowlands to the high snow-capped mountains, fringing a multitude of landscapes and taking care of a vast biodiversity present in the realm. In addition, numerous Ramsar sites (wetlands) have also been safeguarding innumerable floras and faunas.