Kanchenjunga Conservation Area

The Kanchenjunga Conservation Area is a protected area in the Himalayas of eastern Nepal. Established in 1997 it covers 2,035 km² (786 sq mi) in the Taplejung District and comprises two peaks of Kanchenjunga. In the north it adjoins the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve in Tibet, and in the east the Kanchanjunga Biosphere Reserve in Sikkim. To the west it adjoins the Sankhuwasabha District. It ranges in altitude from 1,200 m (3,900 ft) to 8,586 m (28,169 ft). It also falls within the Sacred Himalayan Landscape, which is being developed by WWF Nepal in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

When the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area was designated in March 1997, it was Nepal’s third Conservation Area. In April 2003, a Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council was formed with the support of WWF Nepal, comprising seven Conservation Area User Committees, 44 User Groups, and 32 Mother Groups. These community based institutions support effective implementation of all planned activities. In August 2006, the Government of Nepal handed over the management of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area to the Management Council.

• Activities: Trekking, mountaineering
• Accommodation: Tea houses, camping
• Access: Fly to Taplejung via Biratnagar from Kathmandu
• Wildlife: Endangered snow leopard, Himalayan black bear, musk deer, red panda, blue sheep, rhesus monkey.
• Birds: 252 species of different birds including impeyan pheasant, red-billed blue magpie, ashy drongo.
• Vegetation: 20 indigenous gymnosperms, 15 among Nepal's 23 endemic flowering plants, 30 varieties of rhododendron species and 48 varieties of orchids
• Best Season: March-May; September-November.
• Park Headquarters: Lelep
• Entrance Fee: Nepalis - Free, SAARC nationals - Rs. 200 per person per entry, foreigners - Rs. 2,000 per person per entry.

Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve

Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve was managed as a hunting reserve beginning 1969, and was gazetted as a Wildlife Reserve in 1976, covering an area of 305 sq. km. It lies in the extreme south-western section of Nepal’s Terai in Kanchanpur District. The reserve shares a common boundary with the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in the south and west which is formed by the Mahakali (Sarda), River, and a major tributary of the Ganges. It is bordered on the eastern side by the Chaudhar River and to the north by a forest belt and cultivations. A total of 24 mammal species was recorded by Schaff (1978b), a total of 350 species of birds of which 180 are breeding species (Inskipp, 1989), Bhatt and Shrestha (1977) provide an annotated list of 14 species of fish, Schaaf (1978b) recorded 10 species of ectoparasites and biting flies.

Although the area of the Reserve is small, it supports a wide range of biodiversity which is nationally and globally important. The vegetation types primarily include sal forest, sal savanna, which is part of continuum between climax forest and grassland that is maintained by fire and floods. The reserve supports the largest population of Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis(E) and swamp deer Cervus duvauceli (E).

The area has a tropical monsoon climate with four different seasons:winter ,spring, summer and monsoon .The months of December and January are fairly cold and misty with occasional frost.The mean monthly minimum temperature varies from 10 to 12 o C in winter , gradually rising to 17oc in the spring and 26oCin the summer.Over 90% of the annual precipitation fall during monsoon between June and September.Mean maximum temperatures are 40-42°C in summer (April-May), when hot westerly winds of up to 160km per 4hour have been recorded. (Balson, 1976).In February and March ,the maximum temperature rises up to 22o to 25ocC.The relative humidity remains fairly high throughout the the year except in the dry months of the pre-monsoon period.

• Activities: Wildlife viewing on elephant back
• Accommodation: Jungle lodges
• Access: Fly (1 hour 10 minutes) or drive to Dhangadhi (670 km from Kathmandu) then drive 1 hour 30 minutes (60 km)
• Wildlife: Swamp deer, 50 wild elephants, 30 tigers, spotted deer, blue bull, barking deer, hog deer, wild boar, leopard, jackal, langur and rhesus monkey; reptiles include marsh mugger crocodile, cobra, python.
• Birds: Sarus crane, swamp francolin, grass owl, warblers, flycatchers, Bengal florican.
• Vegetation: Sub-tropical jungle of Sal and open grasslands.
• Best Season: October-March; April-June (hot, 42 degrees Celsius), July-September (rainy)
• Reserve Headquarters: Majhgaon, Kanchanpur.
• Entrance Fee: Nepali - Rs. 50 per day per entry, SAARC nationals - Rs. 500 per day per entry, foreigners - Rs. 1,000 per day per entry.