About Bardia National Park

Where is Bardia National Park?

 

Bardia is situated near the southern border of the far north west corner of Nepal. Some 968 sq kms make it the largest wilderness reserve on the Terai lowlands that form a transition between the plains of northern India and the outer foothills of the Himalayas.With the Himalayas to the north and twisting turns of the Karnali river and its tributaries to the west and south, the location of the park provides a huge protected area of diverse habitats for a multitude of endangered species.

 

Following years of settlements within the Nepal that left the park out on a limb, Bardia is now much more accessible again and many believe the park is now set to become one of the premier eco-tourism destinations in Asia. Bardia is well placed for transport links, both to and from Kathmandu or India. We can assist with all your travel arrangements if you are travelling independently to Bardia. Please contact us for further information.

ABOUT BARDIA NATIONAL PARK

Bardia National Park is a protected area in Nepal that was established in 1988 as Royal Bardia National Park. Covering an area of 968 km2 (374 sq mi) it is the largest and most undisturbed wilderness area in Nepal’s Terai, adjoining the eastern bank of the Karnali River in the Bardiya District.

The northern limits of the protected area are demarcated by the crest of the Siwalik Hills. The Nepalgunj-Surkhet highway partly forms the southern boundary, but seriously disrupts the protected area. Natural boundaries to human settlements are formed in the west by the Geruwa, a branch of the Karnali River, and in the southeast by the Babai River.

Together with the neighboring Banke National Park, the coherent protected area of 1,437 km2 (555 sq mi) represents the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Bardia-Banke that extends over 2,231 km2 (861 sq mi) of alluvial grasslands and subtropical moist deciduous forests.

Getting to Bardia

From Kathmandu: Daily buses run from Kathmandu to Mahendrenagar (alight at Ambassa). The bus takes around 15 hours and is a beautiful though long journey as you pass through mountains and forests and then through the mainly flat and rural Terai. Tickets cost from 1200 Nepalese Rupees (approx. US$17). Night buses also operate. There are also daily flights to Nepalgunj from Kathmandu for around 11,400 NR (approx. US$158) which make the journey much shorter and easier.

 

From Nepalgunj: Two buses per day go to Thakudwara at 11am and 2.30pm, taking 3-4 hours and costing around 100 NR. We can also pick you up from Nepalgunj airport and transfer you directly to the lodge (approx. 3 hours).From Mahendranagar:Daily buses run from Mahendrenagar to Kathmandu (alight at Ambassa), the bus takes around 4-5 hours.

 

From India: You can travel to Bardia from India by coming via Banbassa-Mahendranagar or Rupidha-Nepalgunj border crossing points.*Ambassa: The actual park entrance is situated close to the small village of Thakurdawa, 14km southwest along a dirt/gravel road from Ambassa on the Mahendra Highway. A handful of buses run each day from Ambassa to Thakurdwara . The journey takes around 30 minutes. We can also pick you up from the junction.

Vegetation

About 70% of the park is covered with forest, with the balance of mixture of grassland, savannah and riverine forest. The flora recorded in the park comprises 839 species of flora, including 193 vascular plant species comprising 140 dicots, 26 monocots, and one gymnosperm species.

Fauna

The wide range of vegetation types in the forest and grassland provides excellent habitat for 642 faunal species. The Karnali-Babai river system, their small tributaries and myriads of oxbow lakes is habitat for 125 recorded species of fish. A small population of gharial inhabits the rivers. Apart from the mugger crocodiles, 23 reptile and amphibian species have been recorded.

One Horn Rhino Tour in Bardia National Park
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Mammals

The Bardia National Park is home to at least 53 mammals including rhinoceros, wild elephant, Bengal tiger, swamp deer, and Gangetic dolphin.

 

Rhinoceros: Translocation of rhinos from Chitwan to Bardia National Park commenced in 1986, with 58 individuals relocated until 2000. From 1994 to 2000, hunters have been unsuccessful at poaching rhinos. In April 2000, there were 67 rhinos in the park, most of them resident in the Babai Valley. In May 2006, a reconnaissance survey was carried out in the Babai River floodplain, which revealed an alarming decline in the rhino population. Poaching was suspected to be the main cause of this decline. Subsequent surveys in 2007 and 2008 have confirmed the complete disappearance of rhinos from Babai Valley. In different habitats of the Karnali floodplain 25 rhinos were recorded based on direct observation and indirect signs of rhino dung and tracks. They were mostly congregated in the floodplain grassland, riverine forest and wetlands. In March 2008, only 22 rhinos were counted, and two of them were poached after the count. The World Wide Fund for Nature reported that by 2015, the rhino population had risen to 29, mainly because of increased security measures. 

 

Elephants: In 1985, two large elephant bulls were spotted for the first time in the park, named Raja Gaj and Kanchha. They roamed the park area together and made occasional visits to the females. Raja Gaj stood 11.3 ft (3.4 m) tall at the shoulder and had a massive body weight. His appearance has been compared to that of a mammoth due to his high bi-domed shaped head. His forehead and domes were more prominent than in other Asian bull elephants. In 1993, five elephants were seen entering the park, and one year later another 16 individuals arrived. A population count in summer 1997 revealed 41 resident individuals. In 2002, more than 60 individuals were estimated to reside in the Karnali floodplain and the Babai Valley.

Birds

Current checklists include 407 bird species, among them the Bengal florican, white-rumped vulture, peafowl, and bar-headed geese, which are symbolic of the park. Lesser florican and sarus crane are present; grey-crowned prinia, jungle prinia, pale-footed bush warbler, aberrant bush warbler, striated grassbird, golden-headed cisticola and chestnut-capped babbler occur in the park’s grasslands.

Activities

There are many ways to explore Bardia National Park that help you to see different wild lives of the area including Royal Bengal Tiger, One Horn Rhinoceros, Wild Asian Elephants, Gharial Crocodile, huge Burmese python and many more. Bardia Tiger Resort offers some special activities like proper tiger sighting, catfish (goonch), golden mahaseer fishing and camping inside National Parks. You can have the following activities in Bardia National park with the help of Bardia Tiger Resort.